Secrets of the Family Tree
by Shiv3r
Summary: AH. Max and Fang are brother and sister. But what happens when more than brotherly feelings rise up? Max will have to decide between sticking with the lie, or finding out the truth. Her relationship with Fang depends on it. FAX FAX FAX!
1. The Odd One in the Family

**Well, this is out earlier than I expected. Oh well, more time to sleep, I guess :) Anyway. Thanks for reading. Yeah, this is my second _serious _story. My other ones are just parodies. But anyway, I hope you enjoy. I thought of the idea this morning and wanted to post it. I hope you enjoy. **

**More info: Max, Ig, and Fang: 16**

** Gazzy and Angel: 7**

** Nudge: 10**

**More will be revealed as time goes on. **

**Uhm...I guess I'll tell you all that i will continue with the story if I get 5 reviews or more. So, in that case, the next chapter will be up tomorrow along with My Angel of Darkness.**

**Enough of my rambling- now read!**

**Disclaimer: Me no owneth Maxie Ride.**

* * *

**_13 Years Earlier_**

_She watched helplessly as, one by one, her family members were killed._

_The car tumbled along the road, flipping, flipping, ever flipping. The three-year-old girl did not know what to do. She did not understand what was happening. All she knew was that something white-hot and sharp was piercing into her tiny side. The world was upside down, too. Chunks and slivers of various materials flew and tossed around her, sometimes hitting her and making her shout._

_Finally, it all stopped._

_The girl thought she was okay. She yelled out for Mama. But she did not reply. The girl swiveled her head around as best as she could do so upside down. She spotted her mother at the passengers seat, twisted at an impossible angle and looking very, very, crumpled. She reached, stretched, and grunted, trying to touch her Mama. When she managed, the skin was very very cold. Like the ice Mama once put on her finger when Davey had stepped on it. The girl recoiled quickly._

_"Mama?" she cried out. "Mama?" There was no answer._

_"Da'?" She turned slightly. "Dad?" Still no answer._

_"Davi'?" She turned completely around this time. "Davey?" He did not answer, either._

_The girl did not understand. Why were they sleeping? Why were they not awake and walking around?_

_Suddenly, a bright light flashed into her eyes and she squinted, cringing at the light._

_A sigh of relief. "One's still alive. She's a lucky one, too. I'd say only about a few years. Poor thing probably doesn't even know what happened."_

_Then she was being pulled out roughly from her car seat. She didn't like it one bit. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks._

_"Shh. It's okay, sweetheart. We'll take care of you. You're okay."_

_Warm brown eyes stared into hers. They were comforting and inviting and so much like Mama's. The girl stopped crying._

_"Mama?"_

_The brown-eyed girl looked grimly at the three-year-old. "Mama's gone."_

_"No." She pointed at the brown eyes. "Mama."_

_The brown-eyed girl's eyes started to fill with tears and she had to look away. The three-year-old sat in the arms of the man who pulled her out and waited for Mama to stop crying._

_The girl did not understand. In the car were three members of her family. Outside the car were merely bystanders willing to help._

_The girl did not understand that the brown-eyed girl was merely only an illusion of what used to be._

* * *

**Present Day**

**MPOV**

I laughed as my brother attempted to bake me cookies. He gave me a sour look in return.

"Max, this is not funny."

"Oh, but it is, brother dear, it is."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Brother dear?"

I shrug. "I did it on whim."

He rolled his eyes at me. "As you do everything."

Childishly, I stick my tongue out at him. "Fine. Fang, why are you attempting to make me cookies?"

"Because mom's going to be out of town for a few weeks, and I know you just couldn't go on without your cookies. And what kind of brother would I be if I let my sister die?"

"A normal one?"

My second brother, Iggy, came in and ruffled my hair. "Now when has Fang ever been normal, Maxie?"

"True, true."

Fang shot Iggy a glare, earning Fang a smirk in return. "Just doin' my job, bro."

"Which would be…?"

"Turning you into the Emo you were destined to be!"

"How does calling me weird make me Emo?"

"It's a motivational thing."

"Uh…."

"Well it makes perfect logical sense in my mind!"

"Ig, everything you say only makes sense in your mind."

As the two boys bickered along, I took some flour and rolled my hands around in it. Now, as they were busy in a glare contest, (Fang was totally winning) I snuck in between the two and put a hand on each of their face's, smearing it around for good measure.

Fang blinked, Iggy puffed out a cloud of flour. Then, simultainiously, they both grabbed handfuls of flour and flung them at me.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut as the flour hit my face. Wiping it off my eyes, I spat out, "This means war."

We each grabbed a new package of flour from the pantry and ripped it open. The war began. I hid behind a counter as both boys ran off in separate directions. With a banshee yell, I flung the first bullet into the air. Several followed in my general direction, and I dodged them all, firing more of my flour at the same time. But more and more kept coming. It was getting too hard to dodge. I had to get Iggy to convert to my side.

Edging away from the counter slowly and on my knees, I made my way to where I saw Iggy go. He was kneeling behind the kitchen table, still throwing rapid fires at my original hiding place. I creep up behind him and clamp a hand over his mouth. I hold a spoon to his neck.

"Join my side, and this spoon won't bruise you."

He nodded mutely, and I let go of him.

"Where's Fang?" I whisper.

Iggy pointed silently in the direction across from him. I grabbed two handfuls of flour, Iggy following my example.

"One," I whisper. "Two…. Three!"

On cue, we both chuck the flour bullets at Fang. We rapidly grabbed more, chucked them at Fang, ducked, then started the cycle again. Finally, you hear Fang dramatically dropping to the floor, white powder puffing up before settling back down again.

"I surrender!"

Cackling, Iggy and I slap high-fives before going to help Fang up.

"Come on," I say. "Let's go get washed up."

* * *

Walking back to my room, wrapped in a towel, I pass a picture on the wall. It was a portrait of the whole family. Mom, Dad (or, as I call him, Jeb. He doesn't deserve to be called a dad), Angel and Gazzy (my adorable twin brother and sister), Nudge, (my half-sister. Dad had a marriage before mom), Iggy, Fang, and me. We were all in our signature clothes; Nudge and Angel wearing something pink and girly. Gazzy wearing something camoflauge. Iggy wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of faded jeans. Fang dressed in all black. And me wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a pleated gothic skirt over them, and a long-sleeved red shirt with some old sneakers to finish it off. Mom and Dad were both wearing their work lab coats.

The picture captured us all and showed how unique every one of us was in our big cluster of a family. We were all dressed as ourselves and were basically just sprawled about. Nudge and Angel had their shoulders slung over each other's. Gazzy was jumping on Iggy's back, who was before sitting peacefully on the ground in his typical lazy manner. Fang stood up straight, his arms crossed, just barely slumping, and I leaned my weight against him. We both looked bored yet happy, only smiling with our eyes. Mom and Dad stood in the very back, just holding hands and looking down on us with amused expressions.

The picture was my favorite of all the framed beauties of us on the wall. And, if I was being honest with myself, I only liked it because it didn't show how different I was from the rest of my family.

Gazzy and Angel were twins, both with matching blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, handed directly down from Jeb. Iggy had a slight colored tint to his blonde hair, but shared the twin's eyes and some facial feautres. Fang got his dark almost-black hair and practically-black eyes from mom. Though, her eyes were slightly lighter and warmer than Fang's. Nudge had Jeb's features, but her rich caramel color and silky, curly brown curls came from her mother, Jeb's previous wife. I, however, looked like no one. Not one of my family members looked like me. Not even my parents. I had slightly tanner skin than all of them except Nudge. My hair varied on the seasons; Blond in the summer, brown in the winter, and a mix of both through spring and fall. My eyes were brown, but richer than Mom's, and lighter and less intense than Fang's. My sharp cheekbones and slightly turned up nose (it's barely noticeable, but still) resembled no one. And my lips were a different shape than everyone else's.

"What are you looking at?" I jumped and spun around, meeting face-to-face with Fang.

"Jeezums! You scared me!"

His lips twitched slightly.

"I was looking at that picture of all of us together." I nodded my head toward the framed photo.

Fang nodded. "That's my favorite one, too. It really shows how unique we all really are."

I smiled fondly. "Yeah…."

Fang poked my side after a moment of silence and I squeaked.

"You better go get dressed, Max. Don't want you dripping all over the floor I just cleaned."

I rolled my eyes at him, but I could feel my cheeks heat up. I clutched more tightly at the towel and scurried down the hall, my head down. I

yanked open the door to my room, rushed inside, and shut it tightly behind me.

Well that was awkward.

* * *

**I'm admittedly not too proud with my work on this chapter. The beginning was nice, but I feel the rest was lacking detail and structure. *shrugs* Whatever. Anyway, Review please. It'd make me happy :)**

**-.\\-This is Fang. Fang not too happy...**

**But with reviews...**

**^.\\ HAPPY FANG!**

**(O.O)**

**o(())o-Or if not for Fang, then at least for the ninja panda Pancho :)**

** UU**

**x.\\-Apparently Fang no like Pancho... Oh Well! :D**

**Review!**


	2. Snow Brawl

"MAX IN THE HOUSE!"

I jumped over the back of the couch and landed with much force on its comfy cushions.

"Oh, dear God, NO!" Iggy rolled off the couch and landed with a _thump_ on the floor.

I stretched my feet out and put my arms behind my back, completely going into Zen mode.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Really. Don't mind me. I'm just a _crumpled heap_ lying on a hardwood floor in pain after just having fallen off the couch!"

I opened one eye. "Are you okay, Iggy?"

"No."

"Can you move your legs in any possible manner?"

He tested his leg. "Um, it seems movable."

I closed the eye. "Then you're fine."

Iggy groaned. "Maaaaaaax!"

I sighed, my eyes still closed. "Igggggggggy!"

"I'm telling Fang!"

"And I care why…?"

There was silence. I was finally able to start fully going into Zen mode when I was lifted off the couch and was being carried in strong arms. My eyes popped open.

"FANG! PUT ME DOWN!"

"No."

"RIGHT NOW!"

In response, I shifted form holding me bridal-style to sling me over his shoulder. I pounded my fists against his back.

"THIS IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE!"

"Why do you think I'm doing it?"

I pounded harder against his back. "FAAAAAANG!"

Suddenly, a blast of cold air hit me like a slap on the face. "AICHE!"

Fang kept walking. All I could see was white sparkling snow and the footprints Fang left behind. Did you know Fang had really big feet? Me either. I guess we all find out things in the oddest moments.

"Fang, what are yo-"

I was suddenly meeting face-first with snow.

And, get this, it was_ cold!_

Mouth full of snow, I slowly sat up and brushed the snow from my face and spat out the slushy of snow I had gathered up in my mouth. I turned on my death glare and mechanically turned my head to Fang, Death Glare turned all the way up to 75.

"You didn't."

He smirked. "I did."

"WAAAAAR!"

I lunged at him, full force, and knocked him to the ground. We crashed to the fluffy white ground. Thank God Fang was there, otherwise that would have _hurt!_ Anyway, Fang and I, clad in T-shirts and jeans, battled it out in the snow.

I had the first few hits since I was on top first. I straddled him, my knees pressing against his thighs. I pinned his arms down. What was my plan, you ask, if I wasn't using physical defense? One word: _Hypothermia._

That's right. I'm bad.

Fang, though, wasn't smart enough to figure this out. He cocked an eyebrow at me and asked, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Not gunna tell you," I replied in a singsong voice.

"Come on! Tell me! I'm honestly lost here."

I shake my head. Fang sighed.

"You're not punching me. You're not clawing at me. And you're not slapping me. Nor are you yelling at me. What can this all possibly mean?"

"Think about it, Fang. You're wearing a T-shirt and jeans. You're lying in the freezing snow in the middle of _winter_. What does that spell out for you?"

His eyes widened slightly. "_Hypothermia," _he breathed.

I smirked.

Fang eyed me as if I'd already gone off the edge. "Look, Max. Hypothermia kills people. Do you want to kill me?"

I faltered. My grip on him loosened. "No…."

That was all it took for Fang to roll us over so that he was straddling me.

"Max, Max, Max. What ever will we do with you?"

"Let me go," I suggested hopefully.

He pretended to think. "No…No, that wouldn't be much fun."

I forced a shiver to run through my body. "But Faaaang. I'm _cold,"_ I whined. "You don't want your sister to be cold and miserable, do you?"

"You were just about to let me die of hypothermia a minute ago."

My brain scrambled for a reasonable excuse.

_Play the girl card, _it whispered to me.

"Yeah, but, you know, it's that time of the month again. I was just lashing out at you because I'm PMSing. You know how I get when Flow comes into town for the week."

Fang shuddered. "I don't know how I live with girls. Seriously, how do you guys come up with that kind of secret code for when you're talking about…" He trailed off.

I shrugged as best I could under his hands. "Dunno. We just do. Kind of like we were born with the natural knowing of the Girl Secret Code. You're just one of the lucky dudes who knows The Code because he lives with a girl."

Fang rolled his eyes. "Oh, the joy I feel."

I laughed. "Will you let me up now, please?"

"Well, because you said please…"

We both laughed and Fang stood up before securing one of my elbows in a callused hand, gently wrapped the other around my wrist, then hoisted me up from the snow.

"Come on, let's get inside."

Okay. I know I'm mostly filling these beginning chapters with just random little scenes between Max and Fang, but the action will soon fall into place within the next few chapters. Besides, I don't know if you guys caught it, but I dropped a few subtle hints in the first chapter. Anyone who can tell me what they were gets to be Max's best friend in school in the next chapter!

**Yep, that's right. A contest! It's worth repeating- and with capitals!**

**ANYONE WHO CAN TELL ME WHAT THE HINTS WERE GETS TO MAX'S BEST FRIEND IN SCHOOL IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! **

**Rules: You can only review once with your answers. The ****first person only**** will be Max's best friend. Please leave the name you want to go under (I don't care if it's your real name or not. I know a lot of people are all about internet safety and whatnot.) and your personality in the review so that I make sure that I can write your character correctly. **

**So Review Review Review! **


	3. Zena and Ella

Hey guys :). Out of all of the people who guessed the clues, only one of you got it right!

*drum roll*

FunOne007! *gives sticker* Congratulations. You have won the contest!

But…for all of you who want to know what the clues are…I'm not going to tell you! *cackles*

Anyway…. FunOne007, you will be in this chapter and the future ones. So, yeah. Okay. By the way, you sound like exactly like me. Really. That's cool.

Also, hi dogLOVER411!!!! I haven't said hi to you in a long time, so, yeah… XD

On with the story….

MPOV

"Max! Fang! Over here!"

"Hey, Iggy's here, too, you know!"

We all laughed and walked over to Zena and Ella. Zena had been my friend since fourth grade, the year I was brought up out of my shell by her.

*FLASH BACK!!!*

I sat hunched over at my own lunch table in the back of the cafeteria. I had no friends. I didn't want any friends. I wanted to be my own person and on my own. This is how I lived twenty-four/seven. It was the same at home. I get home from school, go up to my room, and lock myself in for the night.

Today was different, though. A girl walked up to me. She had dark chocolate brown hair with matching warm brown eyes. She had on a small sarcastic smile as she approached.

"Hey there," she greeted, sitting down.

"Hi," I squeaked. I didn't talk much, my voice was raspy

"The name's Zena. You say anything about it and I swear I will throw this banana at you." Zena held up a banana from her tray.

My lips twitched a bit. "Max," I replied.

Zena grinned "Sweeet."

I nodded.

There was silence for maybe a couple of seconds. Then, out of no where, Zena starts talking like we had been friends for years now. "So David, my brother, came home from college yesterday. Some winter break or something, who knows? Honestly, I think he might've dropped out of college. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised. Just saying. Anyway, he came home with this chick. I don't like her at all. She's a slut. I'm sure of it. Her name's Brigid. Ugh." She shuddered. "I asked David why he was with her and he was all like, 'She's hot'. Come on. So, naturally, I had to get rid of her. But I couldn't be found out. So, I took all her bras, filled them with pudding, and stuck 'em in the freezer. You shoulda seen her face! Classic! Anyway, after that, I melted all her brushes in boiling water, replaced her concealer and foundation with mud, and her blush with chili pepper. Then, the last stage was put into action. She hated animals. So I filled up her room with birds, dogs, and cats. Totally chaos! Ooooh, I wish you could've been there."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. It was a real, loud, natural laughed. Heads swiveled to look at me and I immediately ducked my head and blushed. Zena grabbed my chin and forced my head up.

"Don't be shy. Come on, who cares what they think?"

"I do…?"

"No you don't! And to make sure your courage is up to its fullest, we are going shopping today. And you know what I mean by shopping, don't you?"

"Buying clothes?"

She rolled her eyes. "You are so clueless, Max. Honestly, after years of my training, you'd think that you'd know by now."

"Uh…"

The bell rang and Zena jumped up, starting to hurry away.

I knew it, I thought. Probably just some dare or something to come talk to me.

But I was wrong Zena noticed I was following her, stopped, then turned around and sauntered back over to me.

"Well? Are you just going to sit there? We're going to be late to Math class!"

In a daze, I nodded, stood up, and walked away with her.

I had made a friend.

*END FLASHBACK!!!*

I had made friends with Ella a couple years later when she moved into our little town. We were all joined at the hip. Even Iggy and Fang couldn't help but feel free and childish around the two. There was just so much energy packed into their souls it was impossible to conceive.

Zena pulled me into a tight squeeze, Ella joining in a second later. We pulled back grinning.

"So, Zena how's David? Any more sluts brought over lately?"

Zena laughed. "Surprisingly no. Although, if he does, I'll give you both a call. We can all sabotage her!"

"What? The guys don't get any fun?"

Zen rolled her eyes. "No, Iggy, you don't."

"I feel excluded!"

"As a loner should."

"Are you saying I'm Emo?"

"No, I was simply implying it."

"If anyone is Emo here, it'd be either you or Fang."

"Since when do I look Emo?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

I watched silently as the two bickered back and forth. If Zena had a perfect match, it would be Iggy. They were in perfect contrast with each other in looks, but matched each other's personalities to a T. I would have to get them together one of these days…

Sighing, I turned around to Ella and Fang, ignoring the two in the background bickering away.

"I propose we all get some smoothies after school today. I'll ask Rob if I can get a discount."

I worked over at Java Smoothie. Coffee and smoothies all in one place. Plus, I got discounts. Who wouldn't want to work there?

Fang nodded and Ella clapped. "I haven't been there in ages!"

"We went last week!"

"I know!"

Fang and I shared a look before bursting into laughter. Ella huffed and joined Zena's side in the battle still raging on between Zen and Ig.

I elbowed Fang in the side. "You're quiet today Mr. Emo."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Mr. Emo?"

I nodded. "Don't worry Fang, I know all about your little secret. I found the knife under your pillow last night. There's nothing to hide. So, where did you get it?"

"I think the better question would be why were you in my bedroom in the first place?"

He caught me.

"Uh…"

He smirked. "Can't get enough of this sexy body, Maxie?"

I gagged. "Uh, gross much?"

His smirk grew. "Come on, Maxie. You know you love this body."

"Sad you have to believe your sister thinks you have an awesome bod to help your ego."

"Actually, you're the only one who thinks otherwise. My ego doesn't need helping."

"So you're admitting that you and Iggy have deep heart-to-heart conversations about your feelings toward each other in the middle of the night?"

His eyes widened. "What? No-"

"Of course not, Fang. You know, I'm a pretty good therapist if you needed some help sorting out those confusing teen hormones."

"Max, Iggy and I don't-"

"Oh, no, I totally believe you. Believe me, I do. But still, I think this needs help from the professionals."

"Please, Max-"

"Hey, I need help with some of my Algebra II homework. Can you help?"

Fang rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's definitely that time of the month again."

I put my hands on my hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your mood swings are giving me a headache, Max."

I rolled my eyes and took out my textbook and notebook. "Just help with the homework, Fang."

"Fine, fine. Lemme see."

I slid the book over and as we worked on problems, Zena, Iggy, and Ella continued their fight. Just another normal day in school.

Next chapter is at Java Smoothie. SNEAK PEEK!

I leaned against the counter, waiting for the hand on the clock to reach 5:00 so I could end my shift and pick up the gang. Subconsciously, I drummed my fingers against the counter. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

A boy with sandy blond hair and green eyes walked up to the counter and rapped his knuckles on the counter to get my attention. I jumped, startled.

"Um, hi there. What can I get you?'

"A smoothie, obviously."

"Well, we do serve coffee, you know."

"Yeah, but it sucks. No offense."

"Not my coffee. But it's true. I'll have to talk to Rob about getting a new brew."

"Please!"

I laughed. "Okay, what kind of smoothie tonight?"

"Strawberry-banana."

"Alright. $4.75."

He took out a five and when our hands touched, a tingle went up my arm.

Maybe I could chat with him a bit more…


	4. Dylan Sure Can Cause Trouble

**Hey people! Happy Spring Break to you all! Anyway, on with the story….**

**Wait! I almost forgot:**

**Shadow- No, this story has no relation to My Angel of Darkness. And thank you for the aweshome comment about My Angel of Darkness. It made me feel al happy xD**

* * *

MPOV

I leaned against the counter, waiting for the hand on the clock to reach 5:00 so I could end my shift and pick up the gang. Subconsciously, I drummed my fingers against the counter. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

A boy with sandy blond hair and green eyes walked up to the counter and rapped his knuckles on the counter to get my attention. I jumped, startled.

"Um, hi there. What can I get you?'

"A smoothie, obviously."

"Well, we do serve coffee, you know."

"Yeah, but it sucks. No offense."

"Not my coffee. But it's true. I'll have to talk to Rob about getting a new brew."

"Please!"

I laughed. "Okay, what kind of smoothie tonight?"

"Strawberry-banana."

"Alright. $4.75."

He took out a five and when our hands touched, a tingle went up my arm.

Maybe I could chat with him a bit more…

*Later*

My head was thrown back as I laughed loudly at a comment Dylan made about a Barbie-wannabe that was flipping her glossy hair over her shoulder and sticking her chest in a poor guy's face.

I slapped Dylan playfully. "My God, you're brutal!"

"Oh, come on! You know it's true!"

"I'm not disagreeing, but still- it's rude to talk about people behind their backs."

"Huh." He cocked his head to the side. "You don't really seem like the type of person to care."

"You've known me for twenty minutes!"

"Twenty-two, actually, and it's enough time to see that you're not completely bothered by the fact."

I shrugged, turning my gaze at the flirty Barbie again. "Well, not _completely, _but still _a little._ Like-" I put a centimeter's space between my index finger and my thumb. "-that much."

Dylan's lips quirked up. "Uh-huh. So, it'd bother you if, say, I went up to her and poured this smoothie all over those three-hundred-dollar shoes of hers?"

I bit my lip. "Well, it'd bother me, but I never said I wouldn't _enjoy_ it."

Dylan laughed and took a sip of said smoothie. "Okay, you are officially the-"

"Maxie!"

My head swiveled towards the door, my face lit up.

"Fangie-poo!"

My entire gang entered the shop, laughing at my and Fang's little greeting. I hopped over the counter, gave Zena and Ella a hug, and punched Fang and Iggy playfully in the arm. Walking back to the counter, I asked, "What can I get you guys?"

Everyone sat down on the bar stools as I went back behind the counter.

"The usual," Fang replied.

"I want some coffee." Zena propped her head up on her hands.

"Ditto." Ella swung her legs from the chair.

"I want three smoothies, actually." Iggy ever-so-casually sat next to Zena.

I blinked. Then, a second later, I threw the pad of paper and pen over my shoulder and muttered a quick, "One sec."

I ducked under the Employees Only door and knocked on the doorframe of Rob's office. He looked up from his scattered mess of papers.

"What's up, Max?"

"The gang's back there. Can I just let them get their drinks themselves?"

"Sure, no problem, I trust them. Well, everyone but Zena and Iggy, that is."

I snorted out a laugh, remembering the one time Zena and Ig started spraying smoothie at everyone in the shop. And who was assigned to pick it up? Me, the psychotic girl that let the two in the shop in the first place.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on them. Thanks, Rob."

"Anytime, Max."

I walked back to the front and threw my apron down.

Iggy pounded his fist on the counter. "I want my smoothie, dammit!"

I 'tsk'ed. "Language, mister."

Fang grabbed me by the waist as I rounded the corner. "Maxie."

"Fangalator."

"Get Fang smoothie."

"Well when you put it that way…NO!"

He growled and made a grab for my sides. And then the tickle torture began.

"No! Fang! Nooo! Stop!"

He paused. "Will you get me my smoothie."

"No."

He started to tickle me again.

"Wait! But, you can get them yourselves. Rob doesn't mind."

My eyes slid to Zena and Iggy. "Except for you two."

They cackled and high-fived. I rolled me eyes and plopped down on the stool beside Ella, who was staring at Dylan in confusion.

"Max," she whispered, "Who is that guy."

"Oh, yeah. Guys, this is Dylan" I gestured to Dylan sitting beside me. "Dylan, this is Zena, Iggy, Ella, and Fang." I pointed them out as I said their names. Everyone called out random greetings, occupied with getting their drinks. Ella, however, remained silent beside me. Zena came over and slid her a coffee, nudging her meaningfully in the ribs.

"Yo," she whispered loudly to Ella. "I think you're creepin' out the dude."

Ella blushed scarlet and took a gulp of her coffee, using it as an excuse to duck her head.

I sniggered as the guys came and sat down. Well, Iggy sat down. Fang came over and hip-bumped Ella off her stool, causing her to gag on her coffee. I'm surprised she didn't gag before she choked on it. It was pretty bad coffee.

"Dude!"

Laughing, Fang took her seat. "Sorry, El, but you took my spot."

"Or," Ella responded thoughtfully as she went to sit on the other side of Iggy, "Maybe Max chose to sit away from you."

Fang's eyes widened. "Now, why would Maxie ever want to sit away from this hot body." He turned to me. "Right, Max?"

"Psh, I am _not _having this conversation again." I stole his smoothie and sipped it once really quick before Fang snatched it back and practically gulped half of it down. I shook my head. "Pig," I muttered.

"I'm sorry?" Fang asked, leaning in. "I didn't hear that."

I blinked innocent eyes at Fang. "Hear what, dearest Fang?"

Fang snorted. "Uh-huh. You're _so _innocent."

I nodded. "Yep. That I am."

Now everyone snorted. I glared at them all. Then I hopped up to get my own smoothie. As I got it, I heard Ig and Zena begin their hourly bicker session over who got a better grade on their history test.

"There is no way you did better than me."

"Why?"

"It is proven that the men's brain can remember better than that of the woman's."

"Uh, sexist much?"

"It was proven!"

"By who?" Oh, Zena caught him there.

"Me."

"That explains so much."

Iggy shot Zena a grin and I could practically feel how much Zena loved to see him smile. I shook my head as I thought about how blind the two were being.

I turned and hopped back over the counter, landing on my seat between Fang and Dylan. Almost as soon as I put the smoothie down, Fang grabbed it up and took a big sip from it.

I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth and slapped Fang upside the head. "Give me that back."

Laughing, he put it back in front of me. "Just a little payback from taking a sip from my smoothie."

I shook my head. "Always have to be the one to get revenge."

He poked my side. "You know it."

It was then that I realized Dylan hadn't said a thing since I introduced him. Sipping from my smoothie, I turn to see if he was uncomfortable. Instead, he was gazing at Fang and I through narrow eyes.

I pause for a second from drinking my smoothie to ask, "What?" Then I went right on back drinking.

"How did you two meet?"

Fang piped up. "Excuse me?"

"You and Max. How did you two meet."

"Uh…We've known each other since birth." Fang's eyebrow slowly began to rise in question. I just sat there silently, sipping from my drink and watching the exchange with interest.

"So when did you two start going out?"

I choked on my drink. Zena and Ella immediately shot up and rushed to my aid, pounding on my back to try and help the enormous coughs racking through my body.

"Excuse me?" I managed through coughs. I snuck a look a Fang out of the corner of my eye.

He just blinked.

Typical.

Dylan's eyebrows shot up in question. "You mean you two aren't going out?"

"No!" I all but shouted. "He's my brother!"

Dylan looked skeptical. "Really? It doesn't seem like it."

Still rubbing and gently pounding on my back, Zena piped up. "You can't exactly blame him, Max. I mean, you two definitely don't look like each other. And you two kind of act like a couple."

"But he's my brother!"

Zena held up her hands in surrender. "Just stating the truth there, Max."

I sighed.

Dylan stood up. "I really must apologize. I had no idea."

I shrugged. "It was a simple mistake. You just met us like a half-an-hour ago. It's cool."

"Thanks for understanding." He check his cell phone. "But I have to go. It was nice meeting you all. Maybe we'll meet again."

"If only fate would be that curteous," Zena replied, going back to her seat and challenging Iggy to arm wrestling.

Frowning, Dylan said one last good-bye then fled like a bird. I turned back around in my seat to face the rest of the gang.

"Well." I ran a hand through my hair. "That was certainly interesting."

"Indeed," Zena remarked absently, caught up in her competition with Iggy.

"When's the wedding?" Zena and Ella snickered slightly.

Picking up my smoothie, I walked over to Iggy, the drink hidden behind my back.

"Hey, Ig?" I said in my best innocent-little-girl voice.

"Uh-oh. It's her up-to-no-good voice!"

Zena was trying not to laugh, as was Ella.

"Well, it depends. Do you like strawberry-banana smoothies?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, just because you're about to become one."

"Wha-"

My ice-cold smoothie interrupted him. I took it from behind my back and dumped it all over his head. Screaming like a little girl, he popped up off the stool, releasing his grip on Zena's hand.  
"I WIN!" Zena shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "You owe me ten bucks, man."

"What! No fair! I got smoothie poured all over me!"

Zena shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "Sounds like a personal problem."

"Zen-"

"I'll be expecting my money by tomorrow." She hopped off her stool and gave Ella and I a tight squeeze. "Mom's expecting me. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Kay, bye!" We all shouted.

Zena grabbed her jacket off the stool and, waving, she ducked out the door into the cold. I checked the clock hanging above the door.

"Oh! Mom's probably expecting us, too. We should go."  
"You're leaving me?!" Ella shrieked.

I laughed. "We'll take you home, El."

"Sweeet!"

We all left the shop after a quick goodbye to Rob. Fang started up his truck and we all got in, trying to warm up from the frigid air outside. I sat up front next to Fang. It'd give me a chance to talk to him.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied shortly.

After giving him and odd look, I sink lower in my seat and turn my head to stare out the window.

Oh, there was something wrong with Fang, alright. What Dylan said seriously did something to him.

This would be a problem.

* * *

**So..It was longer than usual. I feel happy. :D**

**Hope you're all having a good break. I know I am! I just got my very first baby-sitting job. I start Tuesday. Cool, right? Yeah. And tomorrow I get my brackets on. Then next Monday I get the rest of the set for my braces. Thursday I'm seeing Clash of the Titans (hopefully) and meeting up with my entire family-cousins and all-at the mall. In my mind that says one thing: "BORDERS HERE I COME!"**

**I was hoping to get a new book :D**

**Anyway, I'll try to post another chapter soon.**

**Until then-**

***Shiver***


	5. I Promise

****

I haven't updated in oodles of days! :O Sorry, been busy. I didn't even have time to update on my blog :O :O xD

**Anyway, chapter is up any way. **

**Questions? E-mail me at shiver615(at)aol(dot)com or send me a PM and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. I check my email more than Fanfiction, believe it or not :P**

**ENJOY!!**

* * *

**MPOV**

I was sitting on my bed, randomly throwing pillows at the ceiling and trying to catch them as they came down, when my cell rang. I picked up the cell and pressed it to my ear, not willing to stop my game of catch-the-pillow.

"Hello?" Up.

"Max? This is Dylan." Hit the ceiling.

Startled, I forgot to catch the pillow. It hit me smack on the face, causing the cell phone to drop and hit the floor with a loud thud that made me cringe.

"Hello? Hello? Max?"

I scrambled for the phone, tripping over all the pillows that had dropped way too far for my lazy self to get up and get. I grasped the phone and brought it back up to my ear, blowing a wisp of hair out of my eyes all the while.

"Hey, sorry. Um, how did you get my number?"

"Sources."

"Creepy…."

He laughed, scratchy from the phone reception. "Anyway. What's up?"

I rolled my eyes to look above me. "Uh, well, I see a white wall-type thing that looks like it may fall down on my at any moment…"

He laughed again. "Always find away to spice up answers."

I shrugged even though he couldn't see. "Eh, it's what I do."

"Yeah. So, anyway, I was wondering; would you like to maybe go for a walk or something?"

"Right _now?_"

"Well, uh, no. But maybe like, I dunno, tomorrow maybe?"

"Mmmm. A walk, eh?"

"Yeah. You know, fresh air, sunset, nature. It'll be fun."

"Huh. Yeah. Yeah, I guess I could do that. A walk it is then. Meet you at the park at five."

"Cool. See 'ya tomorrow, Max."

"Good night."

I hung up the phone and tossed it in the corner. Then I switched off my lamp and crawled under the blankets, trying not to give much thought to the walk I was going to have with Dylan tomorrow.

_It's just a walk. Nothing special. Relax._

But as I closed my eyes that night, I couldn't help but feel elated that I had finally found another boy that I was sure would never break my heart.

* * *

**FPOV**

I pounded my fist against the wall before collapsing onto my bed. I ran a hand through my shaggy black hair as I ran over the words Max had just said.

"_A walk it is then. Meet you at the park at five."_

My skin crawled as I thought about the two together, walking alone, at sunset, in the beautiful town park. There is no doubt that Dylan was looking for a relationship with Max. But what about Max? Was she just looking for another friend? Or is she looking for another boyfriend?

I cringed at the thought of her last boyfriend, Sam.

Flashback

_I heard the door slam shut. I dropped the paperback book as I saw a sopping-wet Max standing in the doorway, tears streaking down her face. _

"_What's wrong?" I called from my position on the couch. _

_Max quickly wiped her eyes, noticing that I was there. "Nothing." She sniffled. "I-uh-nothing." She started to leave._

"_Max." She paused. "What's. Wrong?"_

_Suddenly, sobs racked through her body. Max rushed at me. I swung my legs down, making room for her on the couch. She plopped down on the couch next to me and I could really see the extent of her tears. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been crying for a while. When I stared into her eyes, I could see hopelessness and despair in them. I wrapped my arm around her._

"_What happened?"_

_Max buried her head into my shoulder, soaking through my T with her tears. I was beyond caring, though, when the words started tumbling out._

"_Sam. Sam. He was cheating on me. All this time. I tried calling him because he said earlier today that he had practice, but then practice was canceled so I decided, 'Hey, why don't we go get something to eat?' But he never picked up his phone. I even tried his house! So I decided to go see if he was home. I walked over to his house and saw the lights on. So I went to the door and began knocking. He didn't answer._

_So I go over to the window, which was slightly opened. Michelle was there. Half-naked. And Sam was kissing her, his shirt off. It wasn't hard to paint a picture. So I stormed up to the door and pounded on it—hard. When he still didn't answer, I used the key I knew he kept on the eve of the door. I unlocked the door and went into the living room."_

_She sniffled, but didn't stop crying. Instead, more tears came. She opened her mouth to speak again._

"_Shh. Shh. It's okay, Max. Sam doesn't deserve you. Not one bit. Forget about him. He's an idiot bastard."_

_Max just nodded and cried. I stroked her soaking wet hair and rubbed comforting circles into her water-slathered back. _

_End Flashback_

I clenched my fist at the thought of Sam and what he did to Max. She was practically dead for four months before she finally started opening up again. And now she was about to let another boy into her life again? One that's not me? Or, you know, Ig, I suppose.

I sighed and buried my face into a pillow.

Oh, Max. What am I going to do with you?

* * *

**MPOV**

"Maaaax!"

I groaned and mumbled out something incoherent at my little sister, Angel.

"Come on, Max!"

"Mmph."

I heard her sigh and then the soft patter of her bare feet walking away as she went to get someone else to wake me up.

"Faaaaang!" I heard being yelled in Angel's sweet angelic voice.

"Yes, Angel?" Fang's voice sounded so deep compared to her high soprano.

"Will you wake up Maxie? She won't get up."

A pause. "Is she at least moving?"

"I'm not dead, idiot!" I screamed down at him from my comfortable position on my bed.

I heard his rumbling chuckle followed by his footsteps. I buried my face deeper into the depths of the soft cotton of my pillow.

"Max…."

His voice was right by my ear. I had to force myself not to shiver at that pleasant voice of his.

Wait—what?

"Mmph."

"Get up…." Fang's strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me ever so slightly.

"What are you going to do…?"

"Nothing you could ever prove," he whispered, right next to me now.

"Wha—"

Suddenly, Fang swung me into the air, holding my bridal style. I groaned, long and whiney.

"Faaaaaaaang."

"Yes?"

"Put me down," I said in my pouting voice.

"Aw, your pouty voice is so cute."

I smacked his arm and opted not to fight him on this one. Instead, I leaned my head against Fang's chest and mumbled out a, "Fine. Then you're carrying me."

Fang chuckled and began carrying me downstairs into the kitchen. Iggy was down there baking cookies when Fang whisked me inside and plopped me down onto one of the chairs. I squeaked. The chair was hard and icy compared to Fang's soft and warm arms that made me feel safe and secure.

What? Seriously, what is wrong with my mind this morning?

Shaking my head, I propped my head up with my elbow. "Food."

"Say the magic word." Iggy brought a batch of freshly-baked cookies in front of my face.

"Now."

He tsked. "No, that's not it."

I gave him my death glare.

"But since it's the morning…."

Smiling, I picked up a cookie as he set them down in front of me. Besides, on a day like today, it was worth it to be slightly happy in the morning. Because today was definitely going to be a big day.

* * *

**MPOV**

My long coat whipped around the back of my knees as I pulled the door open.

"Where are you going?"

Slowly, I turned, shutting the door behind me as I faced Fang.

"Uh, out. Why?"

Fang leaned against the stair's railing and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Well, because it's the minddle of winter and you're just randomly going outside? Suspicious."

I sighed and dropped my hand from the door.

"Do you really want to know?"

He shrugged, but I could see in his eyes that he wanted to know.

"Okay. I'm going out with Dylan."

"As in, on a date?"

I ducked my head down and rubbed my arm awkwardly, as I did every time I got nervous.

"I don't know. We're going to the park…."

He nodded curtly. "Just…. Never mind."

I brought my head up and looked him in the eyes—erm, tried to. Fang was looking away from me; out the window at the snowy blanket on the ground.

Sighing, I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around him. He tensed at first, but slowly began to return the gesture.

"Don't worry about me. I won't get my heart broken again," I murmured into his chest.

His arms tightened around me. "Promise me."

I leaned my head against his chest and looked out the window. Snow began falling, sprinkling the already-white yard with the sky's sparkly dust. The wind picked up the tiny flakes and whipped it around.

"I promise."


	6. Cold as Ice

**Hey guys! Please read the A/N at the bottom! Important news is listed there! Enjoy!**

**MPOV**

I slipped silently threw the streets. Snowflakes landed lightly on my dark black pea coat that stretched to the backs of my knees. My converse smacked on the concrete, though made no noise above the roaring wind that lifted my hair and whipped it around my head, giving me constant reason to keep pushing it out of my eyes. It was a good thing I hadn't cut it recently, though. Where my hair rested, I was warm, thank God.

The park came into view as I rounded the corner of the coffee shop. I waved quickly in the window at Rob, who was wiping the counter in the shop. He waved back and gave me a look like I was crazy. Looking pointedly at the sky, Rob gestured for me to come inside. I checked my phone. A few minutes talking with Rob wouldn't hurt. Shrugging, I pushed open the door and headed over to the counter.

"Hey," I said, taking a seat on a stool in front of Rob.

"Okay, what up with the arctic expedition into the freezing depths of the city?"

I laughed as I pushed my hair out of my way. My cheeks were undoubtedly bright cherry red, and my hair was damp with the melting flakes. "I'm meeting someone."

He paused. "In the middle of the winter?"

"Yup." I popped the 'p' and twisted around in the swivel stool.

"Outside?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, I knew you were a bit odd when I hired you, but this is just going overboard."

I laughed and playfully punched him in the arm. "Shut up! I'm not that crazy—most of the time."

Rob laughed along with me and ruffled my hair. It sent a pang in my heart. In a lot of ways, Rob was my real father. He gave me a job when mom got tired of my detentions and wouldn't let me back in the house until I got some work, he gave me advice when mom was out of town, and he always looked out for me. Unlike Jeb who frankly just ignored me and treated me as a piece of dust on one of his fancy cutting tools he uses at work. I wish Jeb would care for me like Rob. I wish he'd pay attention to me.

I wish I existed in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rob took careful note of my silence and read my face as easy as an open book.

"Nothing," I said, shaking myself out of my wistful thoughts. "I have to get going."

He pursed his lips, obviously wondering if he should make me stay and pry what was bothering me out of me.

I managed a small smile. "I'll be in early tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "It's Saturday."

"Come on! I'll keep you pleasant company in this lonely shop when all the weirdoes—"

"Like you?"

I stuck my tongue out at him quickly. "Come in and bother you for free bagels."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "My bagels are pretty good."

I laughed. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Six 'o clock sharp."

"It's a date."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," he said seriously.

"Good thing I like breaking the law," I said jokingly, winking slightly.

Both of us laughing, Rob pulled me into a quick hug.

"Be careful out there," were his parting words as he all but kicked me back out of the store.

I waved one last time before disappearing around the corner. The park was slowly getting less and less visible as I approached, as odd as that would seem. I furrowed my brow. The park should be getting clearer, not blurrier. I trudged on, though, determined not to stand up Dylan just because of some messed up vision. But as I walked on, I quickly found out that it wasn't just some screwy vision.

Wind whipped at me ten times harder than before, making me unstable on my feet. I stumbled constantly and almost ended up on my butt a couple times. I ground my teeth together and went on, though.

Eventually, I made out the fuzzy outline of the parks grand archway entrance. I let out a grateful gust of breath as I breezed into the park. Even though there were no safe, sturdy walls, there were plenty of trees that weren't going anywhere, and that was just as good in this condition. Struggling against the wind and staying behind as many trees as I could, I made my way to the center of the park where Dylan told me to meet.

In the middle of the park, there was a grand statue of an archangel. The angel was more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen in my life. The cool gray marble of the statue was chiseled to perfection, without any flaw. A pair of gorgeous, life-sized, pale white wings stretched out far, the ends dipping down and almost touching the icy snow below it. A tumble of hair spilled over the shoulders of the angel and down her back, looking eerie in the way that it didn't whip around in mesmerizing ways in this immense wind. And though the angel's eyes were stony and unseeing, they looked determined, yet soft at the same time, and ready to fight a great battle.

Dylan was supposed to meet me under the angel's right wing. Unable to see too clear through the white blizzard raging on around me, I felt my way around the cool marble. Its surface was almost too cold to touch. My hand immediately jolted back as it felt the ice bite into my flesh. I forced myself to put it back, though. I was determined to get to the right wing.

I ran my blue-tinted hand along the angel's marbled dress until I felt a handsomely carved feather under my frail fingertips.

_Now think_, I told myself,_ which wing is it?_

It was impossible to tell, and I forgot which side of the angel I was facing. So instead, I tried my last chance and shouted out the name of the only person that could possibly save me now.

"Dylan!" No response. "Dylan, help!"

Still nothing.

Frantically, I clumsily fumbled for my phone. I pulled it from my pocket with difficulty and almost dropped it to its icy death. My fingers were numb and I wasn't expecting not to be able to feel the heavy, solid weight of my phone on my fingertips.

And, to be honest, I was scared.

Taking shaky, shallow breaths, I looked at the time: 5:45. Great. I was forty-five minutes late for my maybe-date, and he was my last chance at survival in this weather. My eyes lazily fell upon my cell.

Or not.

With shaking hands, I numbly pressed in the digits for Fang's number. I raised it slowly to my ear, my movements getting delayed from the cold. It rang once…twice…three…four…

"Fang. You know what to do."

_Fang you freaking loner, make a happier recording._

A beep pierced my ear and I slowly but surely left a message for Fang. The cold was slowing my brainwaves down, making my speech slurred and slowed immensely.

"Fang… Is Max… I lost Fang. Lost 'n cold. I need you to…. I'm tired Fang…so tired…I think I'm gonna sleep now….But I need you to—" The message cut off and was replaced with a blinking message on my screen saying, "Low Battery—Powering off!"

I groaned and dropped my phone, but almost instantly regretted it. I would need that phone later, even though it was of no use now. So I slid one foot off the base of the statue and groped in the empty air for a landing. I thought I found one, but when I went to put my weight on it, it cracked and my body went tumbling down. I landed in a heap at the base of an icy marble statue in the freezing cold snow and ice with no help and no one. Miraculously, I landed on my cell phone, which, in the daze-like dream state I was in now, seemed like the best thing in the world. I deliriously hugged the cell to my chest and giggled.

So…Tired…

In the back of my head, I knew that I had to salvage the last chance I had of survival and find my way home, but at the time I just didn't care. For the first time in my life,

_I just didn't care._

* * *

**FPOV**

Something was wrong.

Every time I tried to relax, I got this jittery feeling that wouldn't go away unless I got up and walked around. Even then, something in the back of my mind was trying to get my attention. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch—agonizing and annoying. But in all reality, it did catch my attention. After all, if that feeling didn't go away, I just might go mad.

_Think Fang,_ I told myself. _What's wrong? What's missing?_

That's when it dawned on me—Max hadn't come home.

She was only going for a walk in the park with Dylan. What walk takes an hour? I got out of my seat on the couch and drew the curtains, peeking out of them. Snow was blowing around in a frantic frenzy. The wind was howling like a dog that was dying. Everything in sight was a big blur of white flakes, making everything nearly, if not completely, impossible to see. There was no possible way that Max could be walking out in that. She'd blow over.

Or die.

I shook myself. No. That could never happen to Max. But in my heart, it felt like I was right on the money with that one. I gnawed on my lip, thinking of what to do. Should I risk my own life and go out there in search of Max, or trust that she can handle herself and let her be.

The tickle in the back of my mind grew worse, and it was at that moment that I made the decision.

Max was in trouble. And she needed someone to help her out of it this time.

My eyes slid to the glistening keys on the small table by the door. Taking a deep breath, I shucked my coat, snatched up the keys, and went out the door.

* * *

The roads were a mess. After a couple minutes of trying to drive, I just turned off the car and started running. Max said she'd be in the park. But where? Think Fang. Think. She said something else when she was talking to you. Think. Think. _Think._

"Okay, I'm just going for a walk, so I'll be back in, like, thirty minutes. Don't hold up dinner or anything, and if Mom calls while I'm gone, tell her to call my cell."

"_Alright."_

_I could tell she didn't seem convinced. Her eyes searched my face, reading it as easily as a child's book._

"_I'm just going for a walk. I'm meeting him in the center, so we'll probably just walk out of the park and back home. Easy as that._

The center. She's meeting him in the center.

The tickle in the back of my head grew increasingly noticeable and irritable as I went on. So I pushed myself harder, going now at a small sprint towards the park. My annoying little friend faded a bit as I picked up pace.

Finally, ever so finally, I saw the very faint silhouette of the parks arch, almost impossible to make out in the blizzard conditions. I increased pace even more, now full-on sprinting. I skidded at the entrance, and would have hit my head had my hands not automatically flew out to protect me. The entire opening pathway was slick with centimeter-thick ice. Huffing, I pushed myself up and ran on towards the center. All paths led to the center, my mom had told me when I was little. If you're lost, just follow a path and I'll be waiting for you.

Let's pray she was right.

And my prayers, thank God, were answered. The grand marble angel statue soon stood before me. I almost hugged it in relief. Now I had to find Max—if she was even here, that is. And even though I ran all the way here and scared the crap out of myself to get here fast enough, I would hope she was anywhere but here in this blizzard weather right now.

"Max," I shouted, trying to be heard over the roar of the wind. "I'm here! Are you okay? Are you here?"

There was no answer.

My cell! Max always answered her cell!

I flipped my cell open. Instead of my plain black background, there was a blinking message saying, "One Missed Call."

Dialing my voice mail, I heard Max's voice ring faint and slurred in my ear.

"Fang… Is Max… I lost Fang. Lost 'n cold. I need you to…. I'm tired Fang…so tired…I think I'm gonna sleep now….But I need you to—" The message cut off, leaving a startling silence in its place.

My heart pounded in my ears. Max was out here, that's for sure. And she's slowly dying with every second from hypothermia.

Frantically, I dropped to my hands and knees and began searching the ice and snow-covered ground for Max. My hands found no purchase, though, but found plenty of freezing snow. I winced every time I grabbed a fistful of snow. My gloveless hands were probably frostbitten as all heck. At last, they found something that was not snow or ice, no matter that it was as cold as both of those combined.

It was no doubt a body. My heart leaped with joy for a second before plummeting in my stomach. No way is any human ever that cold. It's just not possible.

With clumsy hands, I brushed off the thin layer of snow covering the body. Beneath was Max. Her eyes were closed with snowflakes sticking like glue on her long lashes. Her mouth was a dark blue and her face had blue-tinted pallor. Her hair was damp with snow clumps sticking in it here and there. A cell phone laid on her chest, her blue fingers wrapped around them in a no doubt frozen grip.

And if I was being honest, she basically looked dead.

"Max," I said. "You need to wake up."

She remained as still as the marble angel statue next to her.

"Max, sweetie." I brushed the matted hair from her face. "Get up. Please. For me. For Mom. For everyone in our family. Except Jeb. I know how you hate him." My thumb stroked her frozen cheek gently, a small attempt to warm it up.

Her eyelashes fluttered a bit.

"Fang."

She didn't say it, but her mouth just barely formed the word on her blueberry-stained lips.

"Yeah. It's me." I couldn't wipe the grin from my face. As awful as the situation was, at least she wasn't dead. That was a good thing. Although, she might be dead soon in this state. "I'm going to bring you home, okay? But I need you to do me a favor."

She responded in no way.

"Max. Listen to me."

"Okay." It was the faintest whisper I'd ever heard in my life. But I heard it, and boy was it a relief to hear her voice, no matter how quiet and bare.

"Stay awake, sweetie. Stay awake. Stay with me. I need you."

Her head bobbed ever so slightly.

"Open your eyes. Please."

Her eyes squeezed shut, squinching the remaining flakes off, and then opened to the slightest of slits. The chocolate eyes were as warm as ever, despite the cold she was no doubt feeling.

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

My mouth twitched into a quick smile before vanishing. "Come on. Let's get you home." I heaved her limp body into my arms and started walking in the general direction back home.

As best as I tried to keep Max awake without letting on that I was freaking out on the inside, I think she could tell there was something wrong.

"Fang," she whispered, still way too soft to be completely safe that she was okay. "What wrong?"

My jaw clenched as I heard how labored her breath was from being constantly interrupted with convulsing shivers that racked through her body.

"Nothing Max. Just concentrate on staying awake, okay?"

I could tell she had the total urge to heave a huge sigh right there.

It was only when we were in the car did I fully understand the extent of Max's situation. She could barely sit up properly on her own with the shivers that passed through her body constantly and the fatigue. I tried to get her to talk more, if not more then at least louder, but the attempt was futile. She was uncooperative as ever, giving me an extreme migraine. Eventually, I gave up and told her to sing me the ABCs while I made a quick call.

"Iggy?"

"Fang? Where are you? Angel, Nudge, and Gazzy were freaking out when I came home." Iggy's voice was drenched with relief.

"I had other problems than babysitting, Iggy. They can take care of themselves. Nudge is, like, what, twelve?"

"Just about. But what came up?"

"Max." I glanced at her. She was slowly making her way through the alphabet.

"J…K…L…" she droned on in a monotone voice so soft that made me cringe.

"Is that her in the background singing the ABCs?" Iggy asked, incredulous.

"Yeah."

"Why?" I could hear his amusement.

"Because she almost died of hypothermia and I'm trying to keep her awake."

I heard the phone drop to the ground, a lot of cussing, then an anxious, freaked-out Iggy practically shouting, "What?"

"She went out like the crazy person she is to meet Dylan. My guess is that he wasn't there and by that time, the cold had already gotten to her."

"Bastard."

"Iggy, we don't know it was his fault yet," I said. But the words sounded fake to my own ears. If not for Dylan, Max wouldn't be like this.

"Q…R…S…."

"I have to get off soon, she's almost through the alphabet. But I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," he immediately responded.

"Get as many blankets as you can find. Make as many hot drinks you can think of. Then run a hot bath for her. We won't be able to put her in it right away, but it'll be nice to have it prepared."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. Get the kids in their rooms." My gaze locked on Max's face. She looked like death had slapped her in the face. The blue pallor hadn't left her skin yet, and if it freaked me out, I couldn't imagine what the kids would think if they saw her like that. "They don't need to see her like this."

"Okay." His voice got ten times more nervous as he heard my tone when I said the last sentence. "See you in a few."

"See you." I snapped my phone shut and put it in the ashtray built into the car.

"X…Y…Z."

I pursed my lips, trying to think quickly. What else keeps someone awake? "Count. Count to one hundred."

She groaned as best as someone on the verge of death could.

"Do it," I pressed. "Please."

"1…2…3…"

I almost cried with relief when she followed my directions. It was rare for her.

I cranked the heat up as high as it would go and stuck my head out the slightly cracked window. It was pointless trying to see out the windshield. With my head out the window, I could see much better. And the snow, thank God, wasn't too hard to get over. My tires had been chained, thankfully, last week, making everything that much easier. It's the little things like that that just make you so grateful.

"Fang."

Max had broken off from her counting and called me back in from the smacking wind outside the shelter of the car.

"Yes? What is it, Max?"

"I'm dying aren't I?" Her slitted eyes locked on my wide and fearful ones. Her chest raised slowly, shaking with the convulsing shivers and probably the effort it took to breathe.

"No," I lied. "You're fine."

She smiled faintly. "You're always too sweet." She shut her eyes fully. "Don't lose that sweetness when I'm gone."

I stared out the windshield that was layered with snow despite the wipers. My hands clenched on the steering wheel. "You're not going to be gone."

"I'm dying." She didn't say it with fear. Actually, her voice was a bit stronger. "You can't change that."

"I can, and I will," I said. "I promise you, Max. I _will not let you die. _Do you hear me? _You are not going to die._"

Her lips twitched slightly, but she didn't respond to what I said in any other way. She just kept silent, which scared me more than her talk about death.

"Max. Speak. _Please._"

And she did. She started to sing. Her voice was soft as the barest whisper, but her words rang true in a haunting melody.

_"Take what you need while there's time. The city will be Earth in a short while. If I'm not mistaken, it's been in flames. You and I will escape to the seaside._

_"There is a storm in the distance. The wind breathing warning of its imminence. There is a lighthouse, five hundred yards down. You and I will be safe there._

_"There is a girl who, haunts that lighthouse. She saved me. I was swimming, so young I almost drowned, under the water. She sang a story of losing a lover. She calls a warning._

_"Love you are foolish, you're tired. Your sleeplessness makes you a liar. The city is burning, the ocean is turning. Our only chance is the lighthouse._

_"Her lover was a sailor. She went and she waited there. The door locked from the outside. Lover never arrived so she sings there, soft as a siren, luring the ships off their course. How alarming._

_"We went in we, climbed up, and looked out. The door locked from the outside. Three ghosts in a lighthouse."_

Tears were rolling silently down my cheeks as she came to a soft ending. The song sent shivers down my spine and was left hauntingly in my mind.

As I turned onto our street, I looked at Max. Her eyes were still closed and her breath was getting shallower with each passing breath. "We're almost there," I told her. "I need you to wake up."

Her eyes fluttered the barest bit. "Let death take me."

I choked in pain. Max was obviously in the worst pain imaginable, or numb all over at the very least. She must be cold though. Oh, what do I know? I've never suffered from hypothermia!

I pulled the car into the driveway and shut it off. I instantly got out and ran over to Max's side. Opening the door, I picked her up and brought her back out into the cruel world. She moaned quietly as the cold touched her. Another shiver passed through her body as I slammed the car door shut. The noise must have alerted Iggy of our presence, for he opened the door right after that. I jogged towards the house, trying to be as gentle as possible while getting to the house fast. Once inside, Iggy shut the door and told me to go to the couch.

The couch had at least ten blankets layered on top of it. I took one and bundled Max inside of it. Then I took another, and another, and another. Eventually, Max was a little cocoon of blankets, hopefully doing a good job at warming her up a bit.

Iggy came over. "Let me see her," he muttered. When he took a good look at her face, he choked. "Oh, God, help her," he said.

Her appearance hadn't changed much the ride home. In fact, she might have even gotten bluer. It depends, really, how you look at it.

I pursed my lips, studying her face intently. She looked so dead, I almost believed she wasn't. She wasn't, fortunately, but she could be soon, there was no doubt about that.

Iggy took a look at my face, too. He took in a sharp breath. "Dude, you're starting to look kind of blue, too. How long were you out there looking for her?"

I shrugged. To be honest, I didn't even feel the cold. Max was the only thing that I paid attention to.

"Here, drink this."

Iggy shoved a hot chocolate in my hands, but I shook my head. "Max will need this more than me," I said, going to perch gingerly next to Max.

"Max." I cupped her cheek with my free hand. "I need to warm you up. You have to drink this."

She groaned, but opened her eyes to slits again. "Just let them take me, Fang. It'll be easier."

"What is she talking about?" Iggy asked, worried.

My mouth set into a grim line. "Death," I said bluntly. Iggy made another choking sound behind me.

"Max," I said as gently as I could. "Drink this for me, please. I don't want to let you go. I want to keep you forever."

She sighed as best as she could in her condition and sipped from the cup I held in front of her. After a few sips, she closed her eyes again and curled up into an even smaller ball.

"The blankets aren't working," I said, noticing how the blueness had barely lightened up, if at all. "She has to get out of those clothes, or she'll never get warmed up." I looked up at Iggy. He held his hands out, palms up in the universal sign of surrender.

"She may be my sister, but I would never want to be that close to her, dude."

I sighed.

Why can't my mother be here?

I scooped Max up in my arms and threw some "I'll be right back," words over my shoulder as I climbed the stairs to Max's room. When we got there, I laid her, still wrapped up in a bundle, on her bed as I went to search for some warm clothes for her.

I went to her dresser and, after immediately shutting her first drawer, (I think you can guess what was inside it) I opened up the next one to find some sweats. I pulled out plain black pants and started opening more drawers to find, like, and old T-shirt or something. I finally found one in her bottom drawer. It was a baggy shirt that Mom had given Max one day saying it had belonged to someone very special in the family, though she wouldn't say who.

Shrugging the memory off, I went back over to Max.

"Max, I have to change you clothes."

She only responded with a moan.

"I won't look, I promise, okay? But please at least try to cooperate."

When she didn't respond, I began to unravel her from the blankets. Under the blankets, I saw that Max was wearing a school sweatshirt and a pair of regular faded blue jeans. I sat her up as best as I could. This time, all she did was slump a bit. That was a good sign, right? At least she wasn't falling over. Taking a deep breath and gripping the ends of her shirt, I closed adverted my eyes to the ceiling.

And then I pulled.

With much difficulty, I got the sweatshirt up her arms, and eventually over her head. Throwing the sopping wet shirt to the floor, I glanced down to grab the shirt I had picked out earlier and unfold it. I kept my eyes locked on Max's face as I slipped the shirt over her head. When it fell, I was able to look at her more to get her arms through the holes.

That was the easy part. Here comes the hard part—changing her pants.

Gulping, I turned my head, reached down and unzipped her pants. Then I gingerly slipped them off the best I could without looking. I grabbed the sweats off her bed and got down on my knees. I put both of her feet through their proper holes and tugged the pants up until they reached her butt. Then I wrapped my arm just under her underarms and forced her to stand up. Her entire body weight slumped against me as I struggled to pull her pants up to her hips with one hand.

It was the most difficult thing I had ever done in my life.

After I was done, I scooped her up in my arms again and carried her back downstairs. Iggy looked up from where he was making another cup of tea, even though he already had about five made.

"I think your best bet would be to put her in the bath now," he said, observing her still too-blue face. At least she was losing some blue, though. Her lips especially looked better, more pinkish.

I give Iggy a look. "_After _I went through all that stuff with the clothes."

Iggy grinned, despite the situation at hand. "Hey, at least she's warmer now."

He did have a point.

Sighing, Iggy and I went upstairs to the bathroom. That's where we stopped. We stood over the bathtub, neither of us knowing what to do next.

"Should we, uh, strip her down?" Iggy suggested.

"No! God, Iggy, she's our sister!"

"Well what do you propose we do?" he asked irritably.

"This." With that, I placed Max in the water, clothes and all.

When her body made contact with the steaming water, her eyes snapped open and she sputtered as water entered her mouth and nose. The shivers kicked into overdrive and she wrapped her arms around herself. She blinked up at Iggy and I.

I grinned in spite of it all.

"What was that?" she asked. Her eyes were wide, the warm chocolate staring up at in confusion.

"Us saving you," I answered. She gave me a weird look. "Just relax." I pressed down gently on her shoulder. "You'll come around soon." Already, her color was coming back. "I'll get you some tea."

Max nodded and shut her eyes again, relaxing deeper into the water.

My heart fluttered in my chest as I all but skipped down the stairs.

Max was okay. She was alive.

And best of all, she was back to herself.

But the song she had sung earlier was still ringing loud and clear in my head, almost as if it was an omen. The haunting melody floated along with me as I walked back to the bathroom with Max's tea.

"_Three ghosts in a lighthouse."_

* * *

**Okay, I hope you guys enjoyed this extra extra extra long chapter! It was your reward for waiting so long :D**

**Anyway, the song that is in this chapter is called Lighthouse, by The Hush Sound**

**Check it out.**

**And don't forget to review!**

**Because you know that I love hearing you guys :D :D**

**And if not for me, then review because it's summer! School is out!**

**And in honor of school being out, CONTEST!**

**Yes, and it's worth repeating: CONTEST!**

**Okay, rules:**

**The person who makes the most creative prediction gets to be the antagonist in this story. The deadline for predictions is Sunday. I will post a chapter Monday with the winner. You must come up with a creative, original prediction on what is going to happen later on in the story. I left some hints in the middle and at the very end that hint at the upcoming events, so you can use those to help create the prediction. Please leave your character's name and personality along with the prediction. And remember: an antagonist is a person who is evil! I repeat: AN ANTOAGONIST IS AN EVIL PERSON!**

**Thank you to all who participate :) I look forward to reading your predictions! Good luck! And happy summer!**


	7. Lettuce

**Hey guys. I'm sorry for the very very very late update, but it was the only time that I had the chance to write the chapter. Actually, I'm in my car right now driving to my kinda-sorta-not really cousin's house without any WI-FI to even post the chapter. Curse open land.**

**But, anyway. Contest winner!**

**And the winner is... *drumroll***

**ColorTheSky!**

**Yay! xD Thank you for everyone who participated in the contest, I loved all of your ideas. Sadly, I could only choose one, and Color's was the one that drew me in the most. So. Her new character will be featured in this chapter, I believe. But we'll se how it turns out. :)**

**Congratulations once again, and stay tuned for more contests!**

**Enjoy the Chapter!**

**MPOV**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Fang's anxious face was locking eyes with me as he hesitated in the doorway of my room.

The past twelve hours had been a scare to us all. Me especially since I was finally conscious enough to experience my situation instead of just being half in the light and half in the dark. I shuddered at the thought of the darkness. I lured me to it with this haunting melody and, though I couldn't quite remember it, it sent shivers down my spine. The darkness called to me with its song and silent promises of sleep and no pain and an eternity of power.

I shook myself of the memories. That was the past. My eyes locked with Fang's. This was the present.

"Yes. I'm okay now," I said confidently.

He didn't seem too convinced.

"Go," I insisted. "You can't be my maid forever."

"I'll just be gone a couple minutes. And I have my cell if you have to call."

I nodded vigorously. "Got it. Now go before I banish you from my room," I said, laughing.

His lips twitched and I could see the relief in his eyes as he heard my playful laughter. Fang finally, finally left to the grocery store, leaving me

alone on my bed in an empty house.

Angel and Nudge were sleeping over at a neighbor's house, and Iggy took Gazzy out of the house for a fun-filled day of arcade games or something like that. I hadn't called my mother yet, though I'd have to sooner or later and explain my near-death expierance. But everything seemed so surreal right now…. Maybe it was just because it's five in the morning.

Yep, that's good, Max. Blame your problems on the clock.

* * *

**FPOV**

I walked through the near-empty Wal-Mart at a fast pace. I didn't want to leave Max alone for too long. Who knows what could happen?

Stop it, Fang, I told myself. Max will be fine. She's safe, at home, tucked into a nice, warm bed. Nothing could happen to her. Unless the house caught on fire while she was sleeping. She wouldn't notice until the alarms went off, but she could sleep through anything. Which means she'd wake up only when the smoke started suffocating her, cutting off her air supplies until she's gasping for the sweet relief of fresh air-

To distract myself from my train of thought, I intently examined a head of lettuce, my gaze so intense it could burn a hole through the poor unsuspecting vegetable.

"Why are you glaring at that lettuce?"

I dragged my gaze from the leaf to look a the source of the voice. A girl about my age leaned against the thigh-high ledge holding the produce. I ran my eyes up and down her body, starting at the bottom. She wore heeled black leather boots that ended at her knees, leaving bare skin until mid-thigh, where a dark blue mini-skirt ended. A black off-the-shoulder long-sleeved top revealed a lot of cleavage and the barest hint of a black lace bra. Her lips were full and had a touch of violet lipstick. And then her eyes-or her eyes! They were emerald green, sparkling even in this awful flourecent lighting. They bore into his soul and captured him, making it mere impossible to look away. Eventually, I did look away, though, to admire her glossy black hair. It was different than mine in a few ways. Hers was pin-needle straight, all the way down to her curved waist, whereas mine has a sligh wave to it. Mine has brown natural highlights; hers appear blue in the light.

She took my breath away.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered.

"That lettuce." She pointed at it, her black nailpolish gleaming. "I think you're killing it with your eyes."

My lips twitched. "No, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"My sister."

"Max?" she asked, concerned.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "How do you know who Max is? Or that she's my sister?"

"I know a lot of things, Fang." She winked.

"Wait-I never told you my name." My eyes began to grow wide.

She laughed, the sound making it hard not to laugh along with her. "Oh, I'm jsut playing with you. I got to school with you guys."

"Really?"

She giggled. "Yep."

"Huh. Then how come I don't know your name?"

"I'm new this year. My name's Abby. Not many people know me. But, uh, I know them." She smiled up at me. "Anyway. Tell me; what happened to Max?"

I started down at her. Should I trust her with this kind of information? I just barely met her-and in a Wal-Mart, of all places. Everyone knows you don't trust people in Wal-Mart. Then again...

Her eyes found mine, and suddenly I felt utterly relaxed. I could trust her. After all, she seemed nice enough.

"Uh, well, you know, some boy troubles. He left her out in the blizzard we had this evening. She almost froze to death."

She gasped. "Oh, that poor thing." She place a hand on my arm. "You must have been scared to death."

Her touch sent sparks up my arm. It almost made me gasp. Slowly, she let her hand slide down the rest of my arm, and back to her side. As soon as the touch was gone, I craved more.

I gulped. "Uh, yeah. she gave me a real scare."

She nodded. "I could see why." Abby turned and picked the lettuce I had previously been glaring at out of my hands and started backing away. "I've got to get going. But I'll see you around?"

It was a question; not a statement. A choice, really. I could say no and forget everything that had happened here. Or...or I could say yes. I could say yes and pursue this mild flirtation, maybe make it grow into something bigger. Who knows, maybe being in a relationship with Abby would be fun.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, I'll see you around."

She smiled, waved a little, then danced away down another aisle.

Something stirred inside me as I turned to pick out another lettuce. It was a feeling I never knew existed. It was more of a voice than a feeling, actually.

And it was telling me I chose wrong.

**APOV**

Abby smirked as she fingered a black shaw in the clothing section.

Fang was puddy in her hands.

It was only a matter of time before he shatters whatever feeling that may be sparking between him and Max. After all, that was her job.

But it would certainly be a pleasant bonus if Fang stayed with her after her job was done. She smirked again.

Abby pulled a tiny photo of a child with curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes sitting on the lap of her mother.

Max.

Only Abby knew what was underlined in this photo. It was a dirty secret that could very well mean life or death for poor little Maxie. Abby could tell Max what she knew-possibly save her life. But what fun would it be if she didn't play a little game with this information? Granted, Boss did tell her no more games; jsut get the job done and get out of there so we can move on. But she couldn't resist.

Not as long as Max was still living in the same house as Fang.

Or living at all.

Abby cackled almost silently to herself and walked out of the store, a single head of lettuce in her hand that may as well had been Fang's heart after their little meeting today.

* * *

**Sorry it was short, guys! I wanted to at least post something on here, and this was all I could type before almost falling over from sleep deprivation.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Who Ever Said Acting Was Stupid?

**Aw, I loveth you guys! You're all just so nice and patient with me, I could cry! Okay, not really, but it was an expression. But my point was—thank you all for, you know, keeping with the story. This is my favorite of all that I have written in the Maximum Ride section, and I'm glad I've gotten so much feedback.**

**Oh, and thank you for all the alerts to this story. I smile every time I see a notice for a review and/or alert in my inbox.**

**So thanks for the reviews! And enjoy the chapter!**

**Oh, one more thing, though. At the top of each chapter, I'll be posting the month and the day of the week. It's in now way relevant to the story now, but eventually you'll see why I put it there.**

_**January; Sunday**_

**MPOV**

The gray cardigan snagged on a hang nail. Cussing, I gingerly slipped the sweater off and padded to the bathroom. Nail clippers, nail clippers...Got 'em. The cool metal surface of the clippers reminded me of the chilling marbel of the angel statue. A shiver passed through me as I snipped the nail. I placed the clippers down and hurried back to my room.

I was just buttoning up the sweater when I heard the front door open and slam shut. Jamming my feet in some combat boots, I clunked downstairs, stopping at the bottom step.

Fang was standing in front of the foggy glass door, shaking the snowflakes from his hair. When he finally glanced up at me, he said bluntly, "You're not going out."

"I'm not going out," I agreed. "I'm going to work."

He turned to the coat closet at his side and started to hang up his coat. "No."

I scrunched up my nose, a habit I had of doing every time I got upset. "Since when do you get to decide what I do?"

"Max," he said. He faced me and bored his eyes into mine. "You're not going out," he repeated firmly.

"Then enlighten me, Fang! What is so bad about me going out?"

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "It's too dangerous."

My anger flared like a dancing flame. "Oh, I see. This is about last night."

Fang met my eyes again. His were elight with the same flame raging on inside me. "You almost got yourself killed!"

"So I made one big mistake," I said flippantly.

"One big mistake?" he asked, incredulous. "One BIG mistake?" He laughed humorlessly. "You almost froze to death! And you call it one BIG mistake?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Our yells were echoing through the house, making me eternily greatful the kids weren't here to witness this disturbing argument.

"Yeah, thanks to me!"

"Okay, we get it! Fang, the big hero! You saved me! And now, what? I'm suddenly 10 years younger? You don't have to take care of me like a child!"

"I'm beginning to think that I do, Max! Maybe I'll have to get you a babysitter. Or, better yet, why don't I get you a counsler so that you don't try to COMMINT SUICIDE AGAIN!"

I stared steadily at him, breathing hard. SUicide? SUICIDE? Fang thought I was going nuts. He's just watching from the sidelings as I slowly slip into insanity. Or, at least that's what he thinks. So I made one VERY big mistake. Big whoop. It doesn't mean I need to be taken care of. I'm the same agae as Fang and I can make my own decisions.

Now there was the problem of getting past Fang. He could easily beat me in hand-to-hand combat, despite my much awesome fighting experiance. Maybe I could, like, challenge him to a game of checkers. I own him at checkers. And I play piano way better than he plays harmonica. Though I will admit-he plays a mean harmonica. **[A/N: Virtual cookies to anyone who can tell me where that's from :)]**

Anyway, I have divised a plan. IT is so cunning and so dangerous, (maybe even more dangerous than going outside! You can hear my sarcasm.) I just may not come out alive. But with my epic acting skills I picked up on in freshman drama class, (I was morbidly curious as to why they called it 'drama' class) **[A/n: Five stars (*****) in a review for Max's stupidity! ;)]** this plan should go without a hitch.

I pretended to be genuinely hurt. I even flinched a little as if he physically hurt me. Fang's eyes immediately softened.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"No," I said, sounding as if I were on the verge of tears. "Don't talk to me. "

"Max, I didn't mean to-"

"Just stop, Fang! I don't want to hera your lame excuses, okay? Just don't talk to me." I heaved out a shaky breath. "Why don't you just go pick up the kids.'

"It's your turn," he pointed out.

"Yes, but I might commit suicide on the way there," I snapped, mimmicking his voice.

His eyes looking pained, Fang walked out the door, got in his car, and drove off down the street.

Anyone catch what he forgot?

Go ahead, guess.

I'm waiting.

Yep, that's right-his coat. The only thing I would need to finish off my perfect little scheme.

I ran up half the stairs, tripped a little, then continued the rest of the way in a much more careful matter. **[A/N: Do the wave (~~) if you're as clumsy as Max :)]** Once in my room, I tied my hair up in a loose ponytail and pushed things around on my dresser, looking for my cell phone. Finding it, I shoved it in the pocket of my dark blue jeans. I stumbled back downstairs and went to the closet. Snickering silently to myself, I yanked Fang's jacket off the hanger.

Now what was so important about Fang's jacket? Nothing really. Mine, though, was still sopping wet and cold from my little run in with death yesterday. So Fang's jacket was, really, the only option I had of staying remotely warm.

I shrugged on the jacket and, laughing once more at Fang's stupidity, I walked out the door, making my way over to Java Smoothie.

* * *

MPOV

I sighed as I swung my dangling feet back and forth. Sunday mornings were so _boring._

_"_Max!" Rob called. "Get off the counter."

"Blah, blah, blah," I responded lazily, but got off the counter anyway.

Just as my feet hit the ground again, the little bell on the door dinged. I turned around and got the shock of my life. There, standing at the foggy glass door, was Dylan.

"Hey, Max," he said cheerily. "What's up?"

I blinked. Was he seriously going to play that game. Fine, well two can play at that game. **[A/N: Exlemation points if you hear that phrase too much! :P]**

I ran my hands in random patterns on the counter, seemingly unconcerned. "Oh, you know, the usual-freezing to death, almost dying. Basically the typical date."

Dylan's giddy grin [A/N: Happy face (:D) because that just sounds so cool!) faultered. "About that..."

"Oh, don't worry about it! I mean, it wasn't your fault I _almost died_." Giving him a dirty look, I turned, grabbed a washcloth, and started wiping off the smoothie machine.

"Max, listen-"

"Back behind the counter!" I called behind me without looking to see if he really was walking over here. Chances are that he was.

I heard him take a seat. "I was gonna call-"

"And I was gonna _die_."

"Max, I think you're exaggerating."

I slammed the rag down and spund to face him in one swift movement. "Am I, Dylan? Because the last time I checked, Fang was dumping me in a scolding hot bath in a feeble attempt to warm me up from freaking hypothermia!"

His eyes widened and I continued. "So you know what, Dylan? Why don't you take your stupid jokes, fancy contacts, and pretty hair out of my life?" I got right up in his face and hissed, _"Because I never want to see you again_."

I left Dylan with his mouth gaping open and his eyes bugging wide. Ooh, never had someoone tell you off? Well I'm flattered I was your first. I smirked at the thought purely because it had double meaning and was just hilarious in the seriousness of this situation.

I entered Rob's office and untied the apron around my waist.

He glanced up at me. "Don't tell me you're quitting."

I laughed a little bit. "No. But I do have to get home." I placed the apron on this desk. "I'll see you later."

With a little wave to Rob, I walked out of Java Smoothie, glad Dylan was long gone already.

* * *

**It was a little shorter than I wanted, but it got deleted twice. The first time, my brother started clicking around, and he clicked the big, obvious, honking red X at the top of the screen. -.-' Idiot. The second time, I didn't realize my cursor wasn't on the screen, ready to type, and I pressed back space, therefore deleting my work. But I finally got it up, a day late, but up all the same. I actually wanted to get it up on the 15th, but it was my birthday (Yay! xD) and I was busy, so... Yeah, but review cuz it makes me happy :)**

**~Shiver**


	9. Abby's Such a Whore

**Hey people! I have some exciting (kinda) news!**

**Have you ever wondered what I looked like? Well for two days, and two days only, I'm putting my picture up as my icon! So, now you all get to see who I am. Or, at least, what I look like :D Feel free to comment; Bad comments or no, I always love to get feedback about myself.**

**Oh, and please ignore the bulging camera to the right of the picture. And my horribly dirty mirror. I'm gonna have to Windex it later :)**

**So. Go check on my profile. My pic will be up there until Wednesday at midnight. My midnight, that is.**

**And the following people get virtual cookies:**

**ObssessiveReader123- -hands you a very yummy virtual cookie- Enjoy! Oh, and what book were you talking about in the first place? I can't quite put my finger on it…(that sounds so wrong xD)**

**Serein Q- -hands you a delicious-looking cookie- And thank you for wishing me happy birthday! Your chapter 7 review made me laugh so hard! 'someone save the poor lettuce!' Haha! Here: -hands you the lettuce- Save it!**

**Babiixilyx3- -hands you a fresh-from-the-oven cookie- And it is indeed a very awesome line :D Oh and, I cracked up during your last review for chapter 7. 'stupid bitch! :O' It always makes me laugh when people randomly swear in their reviews! :D**

**CrazyNerdyFangirl- -gives the one of the most delicious cookie in the world- :D Awh, I love you so much (As, you know, a friend xD) You've stuck with the story through it all! And I think you read My Angel of Darkness. Am I right? I haven't looked at that story in months.**

**Curlylocks4232- -give you an awesome cookie- And I don't take offense. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion :)**

**The Knower- -hands you a ginormous cookie- Young lady! :O I am ashamed of you! Only reviewing for a contest! Tsk, tsk, tsk. XD I'm just kidding! Thank you for reading my story! :)**

**BookWormForLife- -hands you a cookie that I'm jealous of- Take good care of my cookie!**

**And some mentions just cause I'm feeling happy :)**

**SharpestSatire: I love reading your reviews! They're always so random and crazy! They make me smile every time!**

**ColorTheSky: I just HAVE to mention you again because you gave me such and awesome antagonist! I am eternally greatful! Actually…. I will allow you to ask my any one question of your choosing as long as it doesn't involve where I live, what my name is, or what my age is :) Hehe..Okay, so ask away!**

_January; Sunday_

**NPOV**

Blah, blah, blah. I was so _bored_. Ever since Fang picked me and Angel up from Laurie's house, I've been doing nothing but lying here, staring at the ceiling. I'd go bug Angel, but she seemed to be doing something _pretty_ important if it was taking up all her concentration on the computer over there. Hmm…I wondered just _how _important it was.

Reaching with barely a sound, I grabbed a fuzzy circle pillow off the floor and chucked it at Angel. It hit her head straight-on.

She paused in her typing and blinked. Then she went right on clacking away on the keyboard.

I heaved a sigh and flopped back down on the bed, staring intently at the lazy ceiling fan above me. I wondered what Gazzy and Iggy were doing. Maybe making another bomb? Hey, I bet I could help!

Jumping off the bed, I ran out the door, my socks sliding here and there on the hardwood floors. I went two doors down and knocked on the door to Gazzy's room where most of their 'experiments' go on. Iggy'd do it in his room, but he claimed that he was going to have girls over and needed to keep his room in tip-top spiffy shape.

"Who is it?" Gazzy's muffled voice called to me through the door.

"Nudge!"

I heard their low voices discussing whether or not to let me in. Eventually, someone sighed, and then soft footsteps were walking to the door. Gazzy opened the door just enough for me to see him and the barest hint of an Iggy.

"Oh, hey, Nudge. What's up?"

"Can I come in?" I clasped my hands together. "Please please please!"

Gazzy hesitated. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Nudge. You can't."

"But why?" I whined.

"We're doing something super important."

I crossed my arms. "What's so important?

"You know, uh—"

"Don't worry about it," Iggy cut in, coming up behind Gazzy. "See ya later, Nudge." Then the door slammed in my face.

My shoulders slumped as I sulked down the hall. I passed my room, heard the clacking sounds and immediately rejected the idea of going in there. My feet, instead, carried me over to Max's door.

_What's the worst that could happen?_

A memory surfaced of me when I was 6 and I knocked on Max's door.

"_WHAT?"_

"_Can I come in?" I squeaked._

_I heard something thump against the door. "NO!"_

_Tears started rolling down my face and I ran downstairs, practically crashing into Fang at the bottom. "What's wrong, sweetie?"_

"_Max yelled at me for no reason!"_

_Fang got a smirk on his face. "Max just go her first monthly gift."_

_I sniffled. "What's that."_

"_Don't worry about it." He kissed my head. "Let's go get some cookies."_

_I smiled and skipped away with Fang into the kitchen._

I shrugged. At least I got a cookie out of it.

"Maaaax," I called, pounding on the door.

Silence.

"Helloooo. Maaaax." I pounded harder.

No answer.

Looking around the hallway to make sure no one was watching, I twisted the know on the door and pushed.

The door swung open with a slight eerie creek and I tiptoed inside.

Max's bed sheets and covers were disheveled and crumpled. Things were pushed off her dresser and strewn across her floor. Clothes were lying here and there, wrinkled and tossed. A bag was lying open, contents spilling out.

"Max?" I called.

If a tumbleweed could roll across the room right now, it would.

"Whatever." Now my moody teenager side was coming out. Granted, I was only a teenager for, like, a couple months, but that's beside the point. I was so bored!

Storming down the stairs, I stalked into the kitchen and huffed as I plopped down on a barstool at the island. Fang set the newspaper (he reads the newspaper?) he was reading intently down and eyed me curiously.

"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, scheming something up with Angel?" he asked.

I sighed. "Well I _would_, but everyone's busy, busy, _busy._"

He picked the paper back up. "Ask Max to take you to the mall or something."

"She's out."

He set it back down. "What?"

I nodded slowly as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah. She's not in her room, so I figured she's out."

Fang groaned, frustrated, and ran a hand through his perfectly messy black hair.

"Oh." I said dumbly. "Is she not supposed to be out?"

He didn't answer.

I scrambled up from my stool. "Well, as far as she knows, you went upstairs to give her some cookies and found her gone," I said, backing away. "I was never there!" I turned on my heel, sped up the stairs and dove facedown on my bed.

Angel kept on clacking.

* * *

**FPOV**

I balled my hand in a fist, uncurled it, then curled it back in. I banged my fist down on the table, making it shudder from the force of the impact. As I tried to control my breathing, my phone rang. It was an unknown caller. Shrugging, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Fang! This is Abby!"

I sighed. "It's not a good time right now."

"Oh, dear, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it over the phone," I said, checking the clock. Max wouldn't be home until another hour if she was at work. Abby could totally just hang for a bit. "Why don't you come over?"

"Sure! Here, what's your address?"

"Alright, it's…"

After Abby and I got settled on the couch, I started to talk.

"Why? That's all I want to know. Why does she constantly break the rules?"

"Who, Max?" Her emerald eyes sparkled up at mine, wide and concerned.

"Yeah. I told her not to go out. What does she do? Go out."

Abby leaned forward and placed a pale hand on my arm. "You can't control her," she said softly.

"What? That's not why I give her rules! She just needs to be…controlled. Oh, God, I'm a control freak!"

"Relax. Maybe she has to be controlled."

"No. No, I can't control Max like that. She doesn't have to be on some sadistic leash or something."

"Fang." Abby leaned forward, now close enough to smell her scent. She smelled so _good._ Like, like, _sunshine._ Does sunshine even have a scent? "She's a rebel. She _deserves_ to be on a leash." She leaned closer yet, her hand gently trailing up and down my arm. "She's a _dog_."

Her scent was so intoxicating. I closed my eyes and nodded, breathing her in.

Abby's other hand came up and played absently with my hair. "Ditch her, Fang. You don't need her. But she needs you. Leave her and she'll fall apart." She leaned closer, brushed her lips against my cheek.

I nodded stupidly again. God, I loved how she smelled.

"Act like you don't care," she whispered in my ear. "And she'll slowly fall apart."

I nodded once more. "I will." I opened my eyes in time to see Abby's lips pull into a smile.

"Good." Then she crashed her lips to mine and I had no mind to do anything but kiss her back.

* * *

**MPOV**

Dreading each new step that I took, I reluctantly walked up the steps to my house. There was no point to try to climb in my window. Fang probably already found out by now. So what was the point in hiding?

I fumbled for the key in my pocket and, finally grasping the key, I fit it into the lock and pushed the door open.

There was a blur of movement that I couldn't quite place, couldn't even understand where I saw it from. I shook my head. Whatever. I surveyed the living room in front of me. Fang was sitting on the spick and span white couch, a girl whom I've never seen before next to him. Fang looked as if he had just woken up from a dream, but when his eyes located mine, they immediately turned angry.

"Abby," he said, deathly quiet. "Why don't you go upstairs. Hang with Nudge and Angel or something."

"Sure," the girl—Abby—said cheerily. She hopped up and skipped up stairs, expertly navigating the hall as if she already knew everything about the house.

"Hey, Fang." I greeted nonchalantly. "Cold, ain't it?"

"Cut the crap." His voice sliced into me. This time, I actually did flinch. It was a real, legit flinch. Not acting.

Holy crap, Fang was _mad_.

I quickly recomposed my lazy poker face and began to hang Fang's coat back up where I got it. "Relax. I'm alive, see? No suicide attempts either. Wanna give me a gold star?" I joked.

He didn't find it funny.

"Maximum Loraine Ride," he growled. Really? Full names here? "Upstairs. Now. And you won't be going out."

I gave a little disbelieving laugh. "Are you serious?" I asked. "What are you, my father?"

"For the time being. Room. Now."

"You're actually trying to _send me to my room?_ What am I, twelve?"

"You sure act like it."

"Well here's a news flash—I am sixteen," I started, kicking my combat boots off. My voice got louder with each sentence. "I can drive a car, I can work. I can make my own decisions. I don't need _you_ of all people telling _me_ what to do! I'm not your fricken puppy, Fang! You can't keep me on a leash. If I want to go to freaking _work_, I _will._ And _you can't stop me._" I growled the last sentence out. Then I stalked past him, purposely bumping shoulders with him none-too-gently on the way up the stairs.

I jumped on my bed, grabbed a pillow, and screamed bloody-murder into it.

* * *

**NPOV**

I blinked lazily at Abby. "So are you, like, dating Fang now?"

She smiled sweetly at me. "Yeah, I like to think so."

I turned to Angel. "What do you think, Ange?"

"Creepy. Not cool," she responded shortly, never breaking her never-ending clacking on the keyboard.

"I second that opinion," I said turning back to Abby,

Abby's sweet smile turned into a death glare. I just stared boredly, used to the glares from Max and Fang.

"Listen, you little (rhymes with witch). I want Fang. And I always get what I want. So I don't some like," she looked me up and down, "_you_ get in my way," she said with scorn. "Stay out of it. We on the same page?"

"Whatev," I said with a way-too-bored tone. Actually, I filed this back in my 'Never Forget!' files. It'd be useful information later on. "Can I get back to staring at my ceiling fan now?"

"Do what you want, little girl. It's not like I care."

"Kay. Then I'll just beg Fangy down there to dump you. Wanna help, Angel."

"Sure."

"Oh, Faaa—"

Abby smacked me across the face. Ow! God, be a little more freaking gentle will you?

"Shut _up._ You're giving me a _migraine_."

"_Fine_. Be like that!" I popped some headphones in my ear and place a pillow on top of my face.

In my head, I was screaming. How could Fang be stupid enough to trust such a whore like this?

* * *

**Too many people screaming! xD Anyway, Max does some pretty crappy crap next chapter. I've been saying crap a lot today. Please ignore it :)**

**R&R? :)**


	10. Call Me A Rebel

**I'm so so sorry for the obnoxiously late update, but I've started school (SUCKISH!) and I've got personal and family issues going on right now. I will try my best, though, to update as fast as I can! I will NOT discontinue this story on any circumstance. I consider you guys my second family and will never ever leave you. So, if you haven't set up an alert to this story yet, better do it now, cause the updates are about to get REAL irregular. **

**Also: READ THE A/N DOWN BELOW FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION. AND I DON'T MEAN ANOTHER CONTESET.**

**Oh, and P.S, extra length because it's double digits! :D**

**And P.S.S, I'm thinking of posting another story on here, but I want to wait until I have the first five chapters written up so that I can post them quicker. I'll let you know if I decide to put it up.**

**ENJOY!

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**

_January; Sunday_

**MPOV**

I paced my room, a finger idly twirling a strand of hair. I could hear that Abby chick giggling rather loudly downstairs and Fang's deep rumble. My mind played tricks on me, conjuring up scenes of Abby running a perfectly manicured hand up and down Fang's chest as he places his hands on her hips and pulls her closer to him, a small smile on his face.

I almost slapped myself to get the picture out of my head. There was only one thing that could help me now—Revenge.

My eyes landed on the small red cell phone lying on the plush blanket on my bed. I bit down on the small smile starting to creep up my lips as I slowly reached for the phone. Flipped it open, scrolled through recent calls. Dylan's number was the first one listed.

Fang would kill me if he ever knew I was hanging out with Dylan still. Granted, I wasn't hanging out with him _yet_, but I will be soon…

Pressing the little green button, I held the phone up to my ear. Dylan answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dylan, it's Max."

There was a pause. "Oh, hey, Max."

"Hey. Listen, I'm sorry about my outburst at the coffee shop. It was wrong of me. I know it wasn't really your fault."

I could practically hear his boyish grin on the other end. "That's what I was thinking!"

"Mhmm. So, listen. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Uh, I don't know. Anything with a thrill, really."

And evil grin sprouted on my face. "Excellent. Where should we meet?"

"Meet me at the edge of the forest. I know somewhere we can go." His voice sounded mischievous.

"It's a date."

Dylan's hand was clasped in my own as he led us through the terrifyingly dark forest. I stumbled constantly, each time bringing out a new giggle from me. Dylan would just catch me and laugh. After a couple more minutes of stepping on twigs and squealing in fear, Dylan finally brought us out of the trees.

In front of us was a cliff. It had sharp edges, an amazing view, and a deathly fall. Excited, I pulled Dylan behind me as I ran up to the edge. My toes dangled off and pebbles flew off and plummeted to the ground. I pulled my hand from Dylan's and clapped.

"This is amazing!" I turned toward him, craving more of a thrill. "What do we do here?"

"Well, lately I've been scaling it."

"Scaling?"

"Yeah. Watch!"

An unholy grin on his face, Dylan went sat down on the edge, his legs dangling off. He slowly started lowering himself, one leg groping for a safe place to land. He finally found a stable little ledge and rested a foot on it as he felt the cliff for some small ledges to clutch. Eventually, Dylan ended up clinging to the side of the cliff.

My eyes were wild, blazing with a thrill I never experienced.

"Sweet!"

Immediately, I began to copy Dylan's movements. Found the proper ledges and clung to the side.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now, look down."

Confused, I glanced down, did a double take, and stared wide-eyed below me. There was a rushing river far below us that I hadn't noticed at first, not with this lighting. The river seemed as black as a new driveway. I wanted to go down there. I wanted to swim. No, I wanted to jump. To _fly._

My foot faltered, sending little pebbles below. Dylan gripped my wrist, bringing my attention back to him.

"Max," his voice was wary. "What are you thinking about?"

I gave him an evil smile. "Jumping."

He looked at me as if I had two heads. "You have to be kidding me."

"It wouldn't hurt." I pleaded with my eyes. "Come on, Dylan. What could be more thrilling than jumping off the side of a cliff into a river?"

He hesitated. "I don't know, Max. It's winter."

"I almost died once. There's nothing to be afraid of." That was a lie. Those few minutes I spent in death were the worst minutes of my life. I would never want to go through that again. But what the heck. If this is what it takes to piss Fang off…

"Okay."

Dylan's answer shocked me.

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. What's the worst that could happen?"

I grinned. "On three. One."

"Two."

"Three!"

I pushed myself off the side of the cliff and was thrown into a free-fall. I hung in the air, the ground quickly rushing up to meet me. My limbs were limp, just going with the natural flow of the wind. Hair whipped around me. I let out a piercing scream of joy right before I plunged into the water.

The iciness brought back faint memories of the day in the park. I pushed them aside, though. I was finally enjoying myself for once. Can't I at least have one moment of happiness?

My head bobbed to the surface and I look around me for Dylan. He was behind me, laughing maniacally. I laughed along with him, trying hard to keep above the water. It was deeper than I expected, but oh well.

"That was awesome!" Dylan shouted to me over the roar of the river. I had to plant my feet firmly in the sandy bottom to keep from being washed away. The water came up to my neck.

"I know!"

Dylan swam over to me. Looked into my eyes. With the moonlight shining down on his face like that, he really did look gorgeous. I had the sudden urge to brush some hair out of his eyes. Speaking of, his eyes were gazing into mine with a look I've seen once in someone. But who?

Dylan cupped my face in his hands. "You are gorgeous."

I blushed and would have looked down if not for his grip. His hands sent tingles through me.

Slowly, giving me a chance to pull away, Dylan leaned in towards me, his eyes closed. I closed my eyes, too, waiting expectantly for what was to come. His lips descended on mine as we shared our first kiss under the moonlight.

I'd use the word bliss to describe the kiss, but that wasn't quite right. It was…nice. Nice, but not blissful like I had imagined. I had pictured sparks, fireworks. Instead, I got….the hint of a fire. I felt warmth spread through me, but something told me it could be hotter. Something told me that it could be a fiery explosion of sparks and sweet and blissful and…_amazing_.

Don't get me wrong, I've kissed my fair share of guys. I've had two boyfriends before Dylan. Neither had felt as nice as this kiss, but again, it could be better. Dylan's kiss felt like I was in danger, like something was lurking right beneath the surface ready to pop out and kill me. It felt like there was something on the horizon. Something terrible. It sent a thrill up my spine. I wanted more of that thrill, sparks or not.

We parted and I buried my head in the crook of his neck.

Somehow, I just had this feeling of wrong.

* * *

**3rd Person**

Abby felt her lips twitch as she gazed after Fang as he walked in a daze back to the kitchen to fetch some snacks. She felt a need to rub her hands together and let out a wild cackle of celebration for the work she had accomplished that day. Max and Fang were still fighting. Max was enraged and jealous. Fang was enraged and sexy. Well, at least she thought so. The thought made her smile and graze her eyes up and down what was visible of Fang's back in the kitchen.

Soon the pieces would fall into place. Max will run straight into Abby's trap, killing both herself and her family. Perhaps Abby will salvage Fang's life, purely for her enjoyment only. It would be quite amusing to keep Fang holed up in her private quarters. And if he wouldn't stay with her as her partner, then she'd simply have to make him her slave. Or maybe a pet? Now there was a thought.

Laughter bubbled in her chest again and she released it as an unholy grin. The grin quickly turned into a sickly sweet smile as Fang entered the room carrying a tray covered with chips and two drinks.

"Ooh, fresh lemonade!" she exclaimed, grabbing a glass blanketed with a sheen of condensation.

"It's from the carton," he admitted, setting the tray down and grabbing a glass himself.

Abby didn't care if he had spent three hours grinding lemons with his bare hands to make this one glass. She still despised lemonade. The hand holding her glass twitched, itching to toss the glass in Fang's face and leave.

"It's fine." She forced the glass to her lips and took a dainty little sip. She set it almost immediately down and resisted the urge to gag as the cool pee-colored liquid slipped down her throat. Popped a chip in her mouth to try to cover up the foul taste.

"Now," Fang said after smacking his lips and setting his glass down next to Abby's. "What is your take on Max's situation?"

Now the fun really started for her. 'Oh, she's totally in the wrong. Max should have never disobeyed you. Actually, she should have never been talking to that guy. What's his name again?"

Abby knew his name and his profile. She could state six generations of the Anderson family. She could also list all his weaknesses, strengths, likes and dislikes. Everything you could think to ask about Dylan, she knew.

"Dylan Anderson."

"Ah, yes." She crossed her legs and settled more comfortably on the sofa.

Abby noticed a small muscle that twitched in Fang's jaw as he said Dylan's name. Was that, perhaps, jealousy? She always knew that Fang was going to have feelings for Max, but jealousy? He should be jealous that Abby goes out with several guys on the side every night. He should be jealous that there were men out there battling over her this very moment. He should be jealous that every man would die to have her even spare him a glance.

Her anger boiled and she struggled to retain the careful picture of innocence painted on her face. She felt her eyes grow dark, though, and knew she had to get off the subject quickly before her temper came out of check.

"I overheard Max talking to him on the phone," Abby continued.

Fang's ears perked up. "What?"

She nodded. "Yep. She was flirting."

His fingernails dug into the sofa cushion. Abby pretended not to notice as she kept the lies going.

"I believe I heard her commenting on his good looks, how his muscles are visible through his shirt, and how his smile makes her heart flutter."

Fang showed no signs of catching her lies. He just shut his eyes and breathed out through his nose. Abby imagined his tension melting away with that one breath. In time, he opened his eyes.

"Well, she has the right to date whoever she wants."

_Whaaaaat?_ That was _not_ in her plans!

Abby racked her brain for another reason to make him mad.

"Yeah, but I heard he had a bad rep. Like, he's some kind of, like, man whore."

Fang eyed Abby as if she had two heads. "Man whore?"

"Yeah." Abby leaned in closer to Fang. "I heard he uses girls for sex, and then he leaves them at the drop of a hat. Sick part is, he only dates girls who haven't lost their virginity yet. It's almost as if he has some sick goal to be every girl's first."

Fang's eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you serious?"

"Completely."

Fang abruptly stood up. "I have to do something about this."

"Ooh, I like it when you get all mad," Abby commented in a seductive tone.

She tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, a small way of asking him to sit down. He did, melting to her will.

It was so easy to toy with him, Abby thought as she leaned in for a kiss. So enjoyable, too, that she just might not want to stop.

* * *

**MPOV**

I awkwardly tumbled into my window and collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles. Dylan was right behind me, coming to a crash landing beside me on the floor. We both squirmed around as bursts of muffled laughter bubbled out of our chests.

It had been a great night with Dylan. Even though I expected more from his kisses, I still found the idea of going on another date with him appealing. And so I agreed to meet up with him tomorrow. But the night wasn't over yet…

"Come on," I said after we had gone more than a minute without laughing. I got up, tugging him along with me, and went over to my bed. I sat us both down and I started to lean in.

"Wait, wait," Dylan breathed. "I don't want to go too fast, you know?"

I giggled. "We're not going _all_ the way, silly. Just…far enough."

With a seductive smile on my face, I pushed with just enough force on Dylan's chest to knock him back. Straddling him, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his.

We became entangled. My hands were fisted in his hair, and his hands were roaming up and down my back, teasingly grazing some of my exposed skin with his fingers. A shiver ran up me and I pressed my body closer to his so that I was now fully lying on top of him.

Dylan rolled us over so that he was on top and I was held under his weight. He pinned my arms above my head and began a trail of kisses, starting at my jaw line and ending just above my hip where a hint of skin was showing. I moaned softly as I felt his soft, cool lips press against the skin there. I shifted my hips restlessly, encouraging him to go on.

He slid his hands down my arms, shaped my curves, then gripped the hem of my shirt. He began to roll it up—

Suddenly, I became very cold. Shards of ice rippled across my body, covering me in gooseflesh. I gasped almost inaudibly. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Dylan paused, my shirt almost up to the point of showing my bra.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you cold?"

"Uh, yeah," I stuttered. "Um, just really cold. And tired." I yawned for emphasis.

"We could stop if you'd like." Such a gentleman.

"Yes, please. I'm sorry."

Dylan fixed my shirt and smiled. "Hey, no worries. I don't mind if you want to take your time." He pressed his lips to mine one last time. "Good night, Max." Then he slipped out of my window.

I pressed a shaky hand to my lips. The icy cold imprint of his lips was imprinted on my mouth. I shuddered involuntarily. Pulled the comforter up around my shoulders and fell asleep with my light on and window open.

* * *

**NPOV**

After the song ended, I turned off my Ipod and took out my headphones, sitting up. Angel was, naturally, still on her computer. I stared at her a couple minutes before finally asking, "What are you doing on there?"

Angel pressed the Enter key once then spun around to face me. I jumped. Her hair was disheveled, dark rings encircled her eyes, and her face could use a good scrubbing. "Fanfiction."

"Fanfiction?"

"Yeah, you review stories on there and you can also write your own. I've been up since ten-o-clock last night just reading and writing, reading and writing. It's just SO ADDICTING." Her eyes flared.

"Okay, well I hope the website helps us come up with a plan to get rid of Abby because that's what we really need to be doing right now."

Angel frowned. "I suppose you're right."

She turned back to the computer, minimized ten different pages, then opened up Google. She looked at me over her shoulder. "What's her last name?"

"Bennett, I think."

Angel stroked some keys and a site popped up. She pushed herself over so that I could see the screen. I stared blankly at it. "What did you type in?"

"Her name and our zip-code."

"It must be wrong."

"I checked our names and it came up with all the right stuff."

I gnawed on my lip, unable to process what was on the screen.

**THE PERSON YOU HAVE ENTERED DOES NOT EXIST IN YOUR AREA.

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**

**Yes, I must put an A/N here. I finally finished the chapter after writing the beginning of it 4 months ago. Uh, I don't want to give you guys an excuse or a lie, I'm just going to flat-out come out with it—my life has been throw out of control. I feel depressed sometimes, I feel like there are very few people I can trust, and reading and writing are now my only escape from life. But I want to tell you guys right now—I am so grateful to have you all. Every one of you has become part of my family. You guys are the only thing driving me to succeeding, forcing me to keep writing when sometimes I just feel like giving up. I love you guys so much. Thank you so, so much for reading and reviewing. 3**

**On a lighter note: I want you guys to vote on something! If you can, I would appreciate you sending your votes via Private Message to keep the results more private, but if you do not have an account or don't have the time to sign in, you can still leave your answer in a review. **

**Okay, so here it is. Would you rather Abby be:**

**A. Human**

**B. A Vampire**

**C. A Witch**

**D. A whole new species entirely**

**So, go ahead and leave your vote either in a message (preferred) or in a review.**

**Bye!**

***Shiver* **


	11. Let The Jealous Game Begin!

**So the results are in and (drum roll please)—**

**Fang: -crawls out of his hole and does a drum roll-**

**The winner is—**

**I'm not going to tell you!**

**Haha, yeah, I'm sorry. BUT I don't want any of the surprises in the story to be revealed ;) And for everyone or anyone out there being all, "Silly Shiver! I can just go read the reviews and find out what the answer is!"**

**-makes a buzzer sound- Wrong! People actually messaged me this time, you kind people :) So horrah for messaging! :D**

**You'll find out soon, though, I promise. But now it is time for everyone to return back to school….**

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_January; Monday_

**MPOV**

Fang and I tramped in a stony silence through the snow all the way to school. It sucked mom wasn't here—she was our only provider of a car. You know, the huge hunk of metal that transfers you from your home to school with ease; the thing with actual _heat_.

But I digress. For the most part, I enjoyed the walks to school when mom or dad weren't around. Especially in the winter when the ground is covered with a fresh blanket of snow and your boots make that crunching noise every time you take a step; I love that sound. However, Fang's awkwardness was making me shift uncomfortably. But what could you do, you know? He believes he's right; I believe I'm right. There's no resolve to the issue unless one of us gives in. And trust me on this one—neither of us would ever give in.

Finally, we reached the school and some of the tension left both of us. Seeing our friends would be a nice change in pace and hopefully it'll warm the ice a bit. Almost immediately after we stepped inside the doors, Zena swamped me. Her scrawny arms squeezed me so tight I barely had room to breathe. Grateful for the sign of affection, I hugged her back, hard.

"My, Lord, Max! Iggy told me about your little accident. How in the world do you almost die and _not call me afterwards_?"

I laughed and tears almost sprung in my eyes. It was so good to hear Zena's voice again. It's amazing how much I've forgotten about her in the past few days. "I apologize. I'll try to call next time I'm on the brink of death."

She pulls away and rolls her eyes, hands on hips. "Well, thank God for that!"

Zena linked arms with me and we started to walk towards the cafeteria where we would be forced to wait for another five minutes until we can go upstairs. Fang had already left. I felt strangely disappointed.

We reached our little group of friends and Ella also gave me a hug and a nice affectionate scolding. Lord knows how much I wish these girls were my sisters. In the middle of laughing at a comment Zena made to Iggy about his hair, I happened to link eyes with Fang. His eyes were so black and cold that I had to cut my laughter off short. How could Fang's eyes look so cruel and heartless, I wondered.

Iggy rubbed his hands up and down his arms and pretended to shiver. "Whoa, did it just get ten degrees colder in here?"

Ella looked at Fang and I curiously. "Yeah, what's up with you two? You haven't said a word to each other this entire time."

"Trouble in paradise, perhaps?" chimed Zena.

I forced myself to look away from Fang, to focus on my other friends. "No," I said. "We're fine."

Zena snorted. "Yeah, and Iggy and I are in love." I noticed Iggy blushed. "Now what's really going on?"

"Nothing." I made myself sound as convincing as possible. I'm not too sure how well it worked since everyone just kind of gave me this look. But no one had a chance to respond. The teachers were letting us go and I let myself melt in with the crowd.

* * *

Homeroom gave me some time to myself. I sat as far back from the front of the room as I could and nobody bothered me. But I knew that as soon as the bell rang, Zena and Ella would swamp me for details in gym. I could make up a story—but then again, these guys were my best friends. I had absolutely nothing to hide from them. Or did I? Was this whole thing between me and Fang something I should keep private?

I war torn away from my thoughts when my teacher decided it was a good time to announce a piece of information I was very interested to hear.

Ms. Carp passed permission slips down the rows of desks before returning to her desk. Her slim, bird-like frame seemed so fragile as she delicately placed herself in her chair. I wouldn't be surprised if she told us all one day that she was anorexic. I really wouldn't be.

"Okay, students. Listen up now, listen up." Eventually everyone calmed down enough to pay half of their attention to her. "Since you've all been generally good these past couple months, the school has decided to reward you with a trip."

Soft murmurs filled up the room, getting a bit louder with each passing second Ms. Carp allowed. After a minute or so she finally decided to calm everyone down and continue on with what she was saying.

"As I was saying, everyone will be going on a weekend trip to Washington D.C!"

Cheers erupted and I leaned forward, starting to get excited. An entire weekend filled with friends at a hotel in D.C? Yeah, sounds pretty awesome to me.

"You'll get to chose three people of the same sex to room with. You'll be staying at a four-star hotel complete with room service, two swimming pools, and luxurious rooms. The cost is extremely low for what we're providing, and we hope you can all bring the slips with the payment in full by Friday. If there is a problem of some sort, please come talk to me straight away." With a bright smile, she ducked her head down and started keying in some things on the keyboard.

Announcements started up on the mini TV we had hanging from the wall in each classroom. The same stuck-up student council president was there as she was every day, denim mini and all. I spared a quick scowl at the screen before shoving myself out of my desk and going up to Ms. Carp. She glanced up at me.

"Yes, Max? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, Ms. Carp. You see, my mother and father are both away on business, so it's just me and my siblings at the house right now."

"Yes, and?"

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

"And that makes it impossible for my parents to sign the slips…" I said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, which it probably _was_.

"Ah, yes, I see." She finally looked at me. "Well, why don't you just have the office call one of your parents. They'd most likely be able to send a check down here before Friday, and while the office is on the phone, they'll get the permission they need."

I nodded. "Okay, thanks."

She smiled tightly at me. "Of course, Max." She immediately went back to typing after that.

Ms. Carp was one of my favorite teachers, but she definitely possessed an odd personality that even I couldn't decipher. One minute she was quiet and frail, the next cheerful and bright, then the next clueless and lost, then the next distracted and frustrated. It made my head spin.

The bell rang not too long after I sat down, and then it was time for gym…

* * *

"Intense."

Ella nodded along with Zena's answer. I spilled and told them everything going on between Fang and I. They, too, couldn't quite grasp it.

"And who is this girl again?" Ella inquired.

"Uh, I never caught her name," I lied. I didn't want to sell this Abby girl out, whoever she was. I certainly never saw her around, even today when I was keeping such a good eye out for her.

"Oh."

Zena flung her head back and groaned. "This is so _jacked_."

I had to laugh. Zena just being her typical self made my day brighter. I seriously did not know what I would do without that girl.

"Well, are you going to do anything about her?" Ella threw the basketball, the net making a _whoosh_ sound as the ball went cleanly in. I retrieved the ball and lined myself up with the net.

"I don't think so," I said. "Maybe I'm just overreacting to the whole thing and Fang will just slide back into his normal routine in a couple days." I shot. My ball, too, goes into the net with such a perfection it made me want to grin. Zena smoothly caught the ball before it hit the ground and took my place in front of the net.

"Maybe you're under-reacting," Zena commented before shooting the ball. It bounced sharply off the rim and she groaned. "Why must you guys make my basketball skills look like crap?"

"Because they are crap," Ella answered with a smile.

"Psh, just shoot, Martinez." Zena passed the ball to Ella with a speed that shocked us all. It whipped at Ella and she barely had enough time to catch it before it hit her roughly in the chest.

We looked at Zena, wide-eyed.

"Dang, girl, where'd you get so much speed?" I asked, awestruck.

Zena shrugged. "I've always had speed. I just choose not to use it."

Ella gave a sorta-of half-laugh. "Well you should. That was effing amazing, not to mention freaky."

Zena grinned this wicked grin and I quickly diverted wherever her train of thought was going.

"Uh, to answer you, Zena, let's say you're right. Let's say I'm under-reacting. What would you do in my situation?"

Zena paused, turning it around in her head, scheming up different possibilities. Finally, she answered. "Well," she started, "you _could_ always take the drastic route."

"Which would be?" My heart sped up a bit. Knowing Zena, this would be something wild.

"No, you have to agree to it first."

I paused only a second, weighing my options. Really, I was in such a desperate state right now that I had no other options than what I was going with, and, well, that wasn't going so great.

"Ok," I agreed. "Drastic measures it is."

The basketball _swooshed_ into the net one last time before the whistle was blown, signaling the end of gym class.

* * *

"You really think this'll work?" My heart was pounding.

"No, I really don't. But it's worth a try." Zena ran the straightner through my hair.

I gulped. Ella grasped my hand tightly and gave me a reassuring smile.

"It'll work, Max, don't worry." She patted my leg before going across my room and sorting through my jewelry.

I leaned back more in the uncomfortable kitchen chair we brought up from, well, the kitchen. I couldn't believe what I was about to do! This was an utterly ridiculous plan doomed to fail.

And yet, there was still a flicker of hope inside of me. That maybe fueling the fire would help bring Fang and I back to our normal selves. After all, don't most people suggest you just ride out the rough patches with your friends and family? Isn't that, like, healthier than talking it out because you're getting your true emotions out into the air or something? Or do I have it reversed?

I shook my head a little and Zena 'tsk'ed me. "Don't move."

I tried my best to stay still, but, unfortunately, failed, much to Zena's frustration. She ran the straightner through another lock of my hair, immediately following it with a comb. I glanced in the mirror for a second to admire what a great job she was doing. The girl really did have a talent with beauty.

"Hey, Max?" Ella called to me from my dresser.

I moved my head in her direction a smidgen as to not upset Zena further. "Yeah?"

"Where'd you get this necklace?" She turned around and held up one of the most beautiful necklaces I've ever owned.

I smiled a little, almost to myself. "Oh, that? Fang gave it to me for Christmas this year. I guess I've just never worn it around you guys."

The necklace was a breathtaking silver piece of jewelry. It was a little heart with wings on each side, a diamond at each tip. It sparkled in any light and always made me feel better when I wore it. Maybe it was the memory that made me feel better. It was, after all, still fresh in my mind.

_After the other kids dispersed into the kitchen to watch Iggy cook, Fang handed me a box wrapped delicately with fine blue and silver wrapping paper. It was a small box, and I couldn't begin to imagine what could be inside it. I glanced at his face, a smile lingering on my lips. He seemed flat-out nervous when his eyes met mine. Fang? Nervous? I laughed to myself before gently taking apart the paper. What was left was a red velvet box no bigger than your average cell phone. With curiosity written all over my face, I carefully opened the lid to reveal the necklace. I audibly gasped, holding my hand to my heart as I stared down at the necklace._

"_Do you like it?" There was a slight waver to Fang's voice, as if he was unsure of himself. _

_I looked up at him, eyes wide. "Do I like it? Of course I do! Fang, this is gorgeous! Where did you get it?"_

_He shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see the happiness in his eyes. "A little shop off the corner of 48__th__ Street."_

_I shook my head. "You didn't have to spend so much money on me."_

_He laughed. "Don't worry about it, Max." _

I put the box down, moved over a couple inches, and threw my arms around Fang. He hesitantly returned the gesture, his strong arms encircling me. "Thank you. I'll cherish it forever."

My smile grew a little warmer. Christmas seemed light-years ago, even though it was just a month. I missed the way Fang would nudge me just in that one way of his when I was mad at him; the way we would just stare at each other when something bad happened; the way we were always in sync. These days it seemed as if Abby was the only thing that mattered to Fang. There was a moment when I used to be in Abby's place. I curled my fists with jealousy.

"Well," Ella said breathlessly. "We can't miss out on the opportunity to have you flaunt this."

Ella came over to me and, shoving Zena aside, clasped the necklace around my neck. Warmth spread through me, ebbing out from the heart's resting place on my chest. I smiled again, oddly content to know that even if Fang ditched me altogether, I would still have this one piece of him.

Everything was going smoothly from there on out. Zena was putting finishing touches on me while Ella flitted around my room making sure there was nothing else she could use to accessorize me. But Ella being Ella, she found a sleek leather jacket that I had bought a while back ago. She had me put it on, and it fit like a glove, hugging my curves. It completed my outfit perfectly.

It was then that I realized a flaw in the plan.

"Guys, wait." Both girls looked at me. "Fang is, like, my brother, you know? Not some guy I'm trying to get. How will all of this," I gestured to my outfit, "make him realize anything?"

Ella and Zena looked at each other oddly. They exchanged several looks before Zena looked back at me and said off-handedly, "It'll make him realize that without his natural brotherly guidance, you'll become this slutty, rogue teenager. Ya know?"

I looked back and forth between the two wondering if I should question them further. On one hand, I was sure I'd eventually get the answer out of them. On the other hand, I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to exert myself so much just to get a tiny piece of information. I decided against it, opting to play innocent for now. Thought I certainly won't forget this little chat.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever."

The anxious pair relaxed with ease, oblivious to my still-there curiosity about what they were hiding.

"Anyway," I continued. "I think it's about time for me to go."

As if on cue, a car horn beeped outside. I suddenly got very nervous. My stomach dropped, and butterflies turned ravenous inside me. My eyes must have betrayed me, for both of my friends simultaneously wrapped their arms around me.

"You look beautiful, Max," Ella comforted.

"Not to mention very, very badass."

I had to laugh at Zena. Of course she would make a joke at a moment like this. Relieving a shaky breath, I pulled away from them.

"Thanks guys. For everything."

Smiling a parting smile, I smoothed my jacket out, zipped up my stilettos, (courtesy of Zena, of course) grabbed my purse, and walked to the top of the staircase. Fang was at the door, apparently arguing with Dylan. Neither of them had noticed me yet.

Well, can't have that, now can me, I thought.

I took one step down the stairs, forcing all of my weight to make a loud, sharp landing. Fanged snapped his head toward me.

His Jaw dropped.

Dylan whistled low in his throat.

I was all leather and silk. My hair cascaded to my waist, pin-needle straight. Blood red lipstain and dark eyeshadow concealed my face. A sleek black leather corset tied suffocatingly tight under a matching jacked topped a black skirt that hugged my legs. And let us not forget the strappy stilettos swimming up my ankles. I gripped the railing to steady myself as I smiled seductively down at Dylan. I took in a shaky breath before opening my mouth.

"Hey, hot stuff. Ready for our date?: My voice was unrecognizable even to me; Soft, slow, melodic.

I risked a glance at Fang and smirked when I saw his face. Fang's eyes were bulging out of his head while they roamed my amped-up style. I noticed him gulp before he spoke. Such a strange reaction.

"Max," he said, voice quavering. "What are you _wearing_?"

My smile grew. "You like?" I struck a pose for him, still grinning like mad.

"I know I like it."

Fang shot a dirty look at Dylan before clearing his throat a little. He took a few steps toward the stairs, looking me straight in the eyes.

"Maximum Lorraine Ride, go back upstairs and put on some normal clothes."

I started walking slowly down the staircase, praying that I didn't trip and fall on my face. "You see, Fang, I don't really want to. I happen to like this style. So very—kick ass." I flashed a manic grin at him. "And you cannot do one bitty thing about it!"

My heels clicked against the linoleum floor as I strode towards Dylan. Fang stopped me half way with a rough hand on my shoulder. His opaque eyes bore into me for the umpteenth time this week.

"Go upstairs," he growled.

A frown spouted in place of my smile. I gruffly shook his hand off me and side-stepped closer to Dylan.

"No." With the finality in my voice, I took the last two steps over to Dylan and snaked my arm around his waist.

With the most excited face I've ever seen in my life, Dylan threw a "Later dude," over his shoulder as he whisked me out the door.

And _of course_, I just couldn't resist a daring look over my shoulder at Fang. That last glance was one of the worst mistakes of my life. For, when I looked back, I saw Ms. Gothic Barbie Abby rise from the couch, glide over to Fang, and put a comforting hand on his arm. Fang tore his eyes away from me and stared adoringly down at Abby.

My heart sunk as I wondered how I had missed Abby on the couch when I had come downstairs. If I had known she was there, I would have stayed home and made sure nothing happened between the two.

I wondered, as Dylan shut my car door, why I cared so much that Fang was dating Abby. I was his sister, for jeezums' sake. I decided it was because I wanted to protect him from getting hurt. That was all. After all, that's probably why Fang is trying to keep me from Dylan.

But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself this was true, something inside me was telling me otherwise. Something else was up, and I needed to find out what it is before it's too late.

* * *

**I was being really generous today :P I decided I didn't want to end the chapter after the gym scene, so I kept going :3 Anyway, Next chapter will be in Fang's POV starting from where Max refuses his orders to go upstairs and leaves him dazed and confused with Ms. Gothic Barbie. Ha, where did I even come UP with that nickname for Abby? I don't even know. Please know, it is in no way offensive to Goths or Emos or anything. It just came out of my head :O**

**So yeah. Review to make me happy? :) I've been having a really crappy week -.-" **


	12. William Borscht is One Creepy Fellow

**Children!**

**I missed you all so so much! So now it's time for an update thanks to my lovely systematic updating routine I've got working right now :) Hooray!**

**Enjoy!  
**

**P.S. Sorry for the day-late post. Fanfiction kept giving me "Internal Error. Could not upload." I swear, I screamed five times at my computer because I was so mad that I wasn't able to update .**

* * *

_January; Monday_**  
**

**3rd Person**

Fang could not _believe_ what Max had done. Dressing up like she's some slut, and then going out with that scum Dylan. And who does she think she is, telling him off like that. He was _furious_.

Fang tried with all his might not to let his temper show as Abby snuggled up next to him under the blanket and he hit the play button on the remote to start the movie. She clutched his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Faintly, he wondered why he was moving so fast with Abby, but quickly marked it up to a special connection they had to be sharing. Abby was a great girl—Why shouldn't he move fast with her?

Soon, Max fled Fang's mind and he relaxed into the couch, quickly drowning in the simple bliss of being with Abby. And as the movie dragged on, Abby couldn't help the manic smile growing wider with each second on her face. Her plan was falling perfectly in place, and she knew Boss would be so proud of her and her job.

Now if only she could get rid of Dylan, too….

* * *

**NPOV**

I pushed back my unruly curls and rubbed at my tired eyes. I slapped myself somewhat lightly to keep myself awake as I watched Angel clack away on the keyboard.

So far Angel and I had stayed awake for two days, and in those two days, we have literally found nothing of useful information. Abby's name and picture couldn't be found _anywhere_ on the internet. We even tried calling the town officials; they, too, have no record of an Abby Bennett moving or living in the town. I even stole Max's yearbook to search for her there—nothing. Our hopes had dwindled down to the nub, and I felt like freaking death itself without my beauty sleep.

I sighed heavily and forced my falling head to rest in my hand. "Angel, this is impossible. Can we at least get some—"

"I've got something."

I sat up straight, suddenly wide awake. Pushing coffee cups and wrappers out of the way, I rested my forearms on the desk and leaned closer to the screen. Angel roamed the cursor over the page, reading with a fiery passion that I'd never seen in her before. Her eyes darted around the page, and I tried to follow where she was getting at by scanning the page myself, but none of it made sense.

I squinted my eyes and looked at Angel. "Ange, what are you talking about? I can't put any of these words together."

"Yeah, well, _I_ can," she mumbled, still entranced in the page.

"So tell me what it says."

Without taking her eyes from the screen, Angel started to read what sounded like an old document or newspaper report. "Back in 1994, scientist William Borscht genetically enhanced the minds of his two adopted children, both the age of four. With the enhancement, daughter Abby Nixon and son Dylan Rundy showed a great jump in their intellect. Within five days after the procedure, the children had the mind of an average 40-year-old. William marveled in his greatest success yet.

"With two exceptionally smart children on his hands, he began to teach them on his own. William taught the kids unusual subjects such as The Art of Persuasion and Ancient Martial Arts Fighting Techniques. By the age of six, the children were filmed decapitating seven practice dummies in under five seconds with their bare hands. After the release of the video, government officials contacted William and arranged to meet with him and set up a little dog fight.

"On July 5th, 1996, three unidentified government officials watched in horror as the two children defeated five of the government's best fighters in just under a minute. It came very apparent that something had to be done.

"Several days later, the video of the dummy practice was destroyed, and the two children were pegged as the nation's greatest threats. No one knew the full extent of their power, and no one wanted to find out. Cops everywhere were told to arrest the kids and William immediately and take them back to the capital where they would be locked away in a special prison made for them only.

"July 9th, 1996, almost every cop in the state and more surrounded Borscht's house. They performed a forced entry, authorities flooding the home. However, even after countless searches and researches, only William was found. William was sitting in an armchair next to the fireplace smirking calmly as his home was broken into. He did not struggling when a cop pulled his hands behind his back and handcuffed him.

"Taking what they could get, William was sent to the capital as the nation was notified of the missing children. For a year, the country lived in fear of the kids, but after no appearances from them whatsoever, their presence faded into the background.

"William escaped from the capital prison two years later in 1998. Both the children and William have not been seen since."

I stared at Angel in awe, then looked back at the page on the glowing monitor. "Do you think that little girl was Abby?"

Angel nodded grimly and clicked a button at the top of the screen. The printer hummed to life a second later and spit out the page. "I'm almost positive," she said, grabbing the paper and skimming it quickly one last time. "Although I don't know who the boy would be."

I shrugged, having no clue myself. "Whoever it is, they must be around here somewhere, too."

Angel nodded and for a while we sat in silence, still trying to digest the information. Finally, Angel excused herself to the bathroom and I took over her seat to search the site for anything else. Most of the articles on the site were about scientists or unsolved mysteries. I hadn't heard of anything on the site, which made me question its credibility, but what with the little luck we had been having lately, I decided it was worth it to trust the site for now.

Just as I was about to click back to the William Borscht page, a headline caught my eye. I didn't know _why_ it caught my eye, for the title of Mysterious Car Crash in the Midwest had absolutely nothing to do with what we were researching, but something told me to click on it. And so I did; and the story captivated me from the beginning.

_On May 16__th__, 1994, a car crash was called in to local Indiana authorities. An ambulance_

_and several squad cars were rushed to the scene and found a minivan flipped upside _

_down on the road. Four people were found inside the vehicle, though only the youngest at _

_10 months old was alive. The other three suffered major internal injuries and died almost _

_instantly. Although it may seem like your average crash, investigators were puzzled. After_

_surveying the crash-spot, investigators could find no clues leading them to the cause of the_

_crash. Finally, they decided to check surveillance of the road. However, they soon found that_

_the tape from the day of the crash had been deleted with no way of recovering it from the _

_system. Even stranger, the usually bustling-with-traffic road had no eye-witnesses to the _

_crash. The case was closed after two months after officials deemed it unimportant compared_

_to other cases. The little girl found alive in the crash was adopted by the doctor who rescued_

_her on the scene due to the fact of everyone in the girl's family being deceased. The case_

_remains unresolved to this day, and no one is expected to even pick it back up again._

I cocked my head to the side and opened up a new tab before entering in google's web address. From there, I typed: Who was the main investigator on the 1994 unresolved Indiana car crash? After a second, the first page loaded up and I scanned through them, quickly reading the summary before moving on to the next link. It went on like this for three pages. And then I found the perfect one. Biting my lip, curiosity coursing through me, I double clicked the link and started to read.

**Closed Cases**

_**Indiana Car Crash 1994**_

_Description: Car found totaled, three out of four members dead. No clues leading to cause. No eye-witnesses. No surveillance. Only internal injuries found on deceased._

_Head of the Case: William Don—Former scientist who switched to the criminal field after a bad experiment changed his views on science. _

_Reason for Close: Due to lack of…._

I stopped reading and settled back in my chair. Something was still bugging me. I had found what I was afraid to confirm, yes, but there was just something else. What had happened to the little girl? Sure, she was adopted, but did she even know of her real parents? Who _was_ she, anyway? After a moment of reflection, I printed out the pages and decided to research the little girl tomorrow. Checking the time, I saw that Angel had been gone for twelve minutes. Strange.

Filing the pages we found in a spot no one would look, I left the room and traveled down the hall to the bathroom. Banging on the door, I called for Angel. When no one answered, I opened the door a crack and peeked in.

Angel was lying on the floor next to the sink asleep; limbs sprawled out, blond hair covering the majority of her face. Sighing to myself, I bent down, took her by the arms, and dragged her-half asleep myself-back to our room.

* * *

**I know this is short, but I didn't want to overload you with information, so I had to cut it off short. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed :) So, yeah, next chapter Max is gonna come home, and there's going to be a big all-out brawl between Max and Fang and possibly a little Abby. There's gonna be kicking and screaming and cursing, so you won't want to miss it. I have a feeling I'm going to love writing this next chapter ;)**

**Review if you want to see Max punch Abby ;D  
**

***Shiver***


	13. Jealousy Isn't A Good Look For You

**Hey guys :)**

**Sorry for the 10-day late update :P Just so you know, I have already written up the next chapter to this story, and I'm contemplating writing up some more. Just cause I was really into it, and could wait to write this story some more. So, yeah, you won't have to wait very long for the next update. Maybe, like, four days? I dunno. It'll be up very soon though.  
**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

_January; Monday_**  
**

**MPOV**

The locks gave an almost inaudible click as they slid out of their resting position. After a quick peck was given to Dylan, I pushed the car door open, slamming it almost immediately after. I didn't wait to watch his sleek black car speed down the street before starting up the walkway.

Frosty cold lapped at my skin; I hadn't thought it necessary to shrug on my coat simply to walk all the way up to my door. But as I pawed through the potted tree beside my front door trying to find the key, I was quickly beginning to regret my decision.

"Yuss," I breathed as I finally gripped the cool metallic key.

Puffs of smoke escaped my mouth, and I coughed as a scratchy hand scraped at my throat. Five hours without water and I felt like someone ripped my throat out and rolled it around in the Sahara Desert.

Chills shook through me, and I tugged down at the leather skirt clutching my otherwise bare legs. My fingers fumbled with the keys, trying futilely to stab the thin metal object inside the door.

"Come on," I goaded.

It dropped to the slick concrete beneath me, _tink_ing for a second before settling. I sighed. Careful not to misplace my heel, I took a teeny step back and bent. Snatch the key with shaky fingers.

The key slid in on the first try this time, much to my pleasure. I breezed inside the warm, fire-lit home, instantly grateful for the heat encasing me in a gentle hug. I sighed contentedly and gladly shut the door. From there, I shook out my slick, snow-flecked brown locks and began to make my way towards the stairs, leather jacket bumping against my hip along the way.

A hard voice stopped me halfway there.

"Welcome home Max."

Although the words appeared kind, I assure you in the upmost way I can that they most certainly were _not_. Each word was an icy dagger held above my head; a threat. I swallowed around a lump in my throat, but refused to appear even the slightest bit off my game to Fang.

"Did you have a good time?"

There it was again—that stupid little patronizing voice that seemed to taunt me with its mock politeness. I spun on my heel to face him, lips pursed, eyes squinted.

"Yeah. I did, actually. It was the highlight of my month," I reply simply.

It was a lie. My night out with Dylan was as bad as the first time I had gone over to Zena's house for Thanksgiving. The whole family was there, and needless to say, I said something I was exactly supposed to. The rest of the evening was spent in awkward sentences and daunting glares strewn in my direction.

Yes; it really _was _that bad.

Dylan was like a freaking dog the entire not, and would not keep his hands off of me. I had to slap him on several occasions. Not to mention the fact that I hate clubs. The throngs of sweaty bodies pressing up against you; the heady feeling you get after being on the dance floor too long. Not my scene.

Fang arched his eyebrow. "Is that so?"

My temper boiled, and my hands curled into fists. Nails dug into the sleek leather of my coat. "Do you have a _problem_ with that?"

He crossed his arms and I saw a muscle jump in his jaw. So, I wasn't the only one getting testy here. "What are you implying?"

I leaned back on my heels, relaxing my posture slightly. My eyes narrowed to slits. I sniffed. "Admit it, Fang. You're jealous."

His eyes widened a little bit around the edges, and he snorted to cover his surprise. "Of that pig? Oh, okay, Max. Whatever you say."

I smirked, knowing I had caught him. My mouth opened to pursue the theory when I saw the _thing_ sitting next to Fang on the couch. As if on a knee-jerk reaction, my mouth snapped shut and transformed into a scowl so deep and menacing, it would have made a plant wilt.

"What," I asked through gritted teeth, "in the world, is she still doing here?"

Looking slyly over at Abby, Fang gave his own knowing smirk. "Jealous, perhaps, Max?"

I crossed my arms, eyes narrowing. "Now why on earth would I be jealous of a repulsive little parasite that seems to have crawled its way inside of my home and nestle up next to its newest dinner on the couch?" I then sized her up and down. "Not even one of the pretty parasites, either. Looks like you got jipped, Fang."

All throughout my little declaration, Abby's face grew redder and redder as her teeth ground together harder and harder. Her nails were digging impossibly deep inside her palm, I noticed, tattooing little crescents into her flesh.

In one graceful, cat-like movement, Abby was up from the couch and in my face, attempting to loom over me. But, honestly, who had a chance when I was wearing these heels?

"Who do you think you are, Max? You think you're all high and mighty. But do you know what you really are? Some fake little priss trying to get by in life with all of the guys she sleeps with." Her cat eyes narrowed, and I could almost _see_ a freaking tail flicking back and forth behind her. Sadly, though, she wasn't a cat. I know, I'm disappointed to.

"You have two seconds to get out of my face," I growled.

"Or. What?"

I opened my mouth wide to make the worst threat I would ever utter to this woman when suddenly Zena and Ella come crashing down the stairs. I knew they were just dying to break out the white flags and signal peace.

Well, Ella anyway. Zena, however, I knew was practically sweating to see me tear into Abby's face.

"Woah, woah, woah," Zena said, waving her arms back and forth. She came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, just a few feet away from us. "_What_ is going on here?"

Abby and I never broke gazes. We fearlessly stared into each other's eyes, both of us holding back the itch to attack.

"Why don't you ask Fang?" I said, cocking an eyebrow for a split second before lowering it back down.

Ella, who was looking more troubled than ever, stared over at Fang. "Fang?" she prompted.

Fang shrugged silently, determined to not speak. Noo, instead, he gets to rest comfortably on the couch and watch the two most important girls in his life freaking war over him.

Woah, wait, what?

I shook my head to clear it of all thoughts. "I doesn't even matter," I stated. "What does matter—" I stared deep into Abby's eyes. "Is that I'm going to kick this chick all the way to Africa."

Her eyes narrowed down to the barest of slits. "Bring it," she snarled.

"Gladly."

"Oh, _fuc—"_

I didn't get to hear Abby finish her sentence. Within a split second, Abby had pounced on me, dragging us both to a heap on the floor. I saw it happen in slow motion—the way her eyes popped open, and her mouth curled back; her hair fluttering up; her hands stretching out to my neck.

It was silent. The only sound was of me drawing in a single breath.

And then everything sped up.

I snapped my neck aside, coiled my legs to my chest, and kicked at her with all my force. The stiletto heels dug into her chest as she was flung away from me, landing with a satisfying thud into the kitchen wall.

We both sprang up and the same time, though I set myself in motion an instant before her. That was all it took for me to cross the distance between us and send my fist flying her way.

Abby's head snapped back, the crunch of bone sounding like music to my ears. I stood there, smirking, relishing this moment.

That's when things got real bad, real fast.

She whipped her head around to look at me, and suddenly, it wasn't the innocent face of a teenager I saw. The feral look on her face told of a story I couldn't even begin to grasp. A growl escaped her lips, and then she was sending me soaring across the room.

My body crumpled in on itself, bracing for the impact. I slammed into one of the Plexiglas windows surrounding the kitchen and fell to the floor. I wiped blood from a slight cut dripping at my temple. After smearing it on my skirt, I leaped up from my position and charged Abby head-on.

We toppled onto the dining table, the wooden chairs crashing to the floor beneath us. I straddled her, and, taking a fistful of her prized dark hair, I slammed her head repeatedly into the table. Abby clawed blindly at me, tearing my corset almost all the way down the side. The garment hung loosely on me, no doubt exposing some part of me I didn't want people to see. But through the blood lust, I just couldn't bring myself to care.

"Let—go—of me," she ground out.

"Gladly," I snarled.

Releasing hold of her hair, I decked her once more. She grunted with the impact, and swiftly punched me right back. The force knocked me off the table. I landed in a heap on the cool linoleum.

Abby hopped down and stood over me. Before I had the chance to get up and face her again, she pressed the heel of one of her pumps on my stomach. I took a sharp intake of breath at the pain of all her weight being put on that one sliver of material.

An evil glint starting to form in my eyes, I grinned an unholy grin, took her ankle in a firm grip, and _twisted_. Her eyes popped out of her head and she cried out, instantaneously dropping to the floor and trying to yank her foot back.

"Okay, that is _enough_."

Fang gripped me under both of my arms and tugged me backwards. Then he jerked me up into a standing position and spun me to face him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he practically yelled in my face.

I wrenched my arms from his grasp and stumble a few steps back, just now noticing that one of my heels was broken. My hands clenched.

"What's the matter, Fang? Can't stand to see your putrid little girlfriend take a beating?" I spat.

The look in his eyes refuted my question. For the first time in a while, he stared at me not as if he were disappointed with me or angry with me, but as if he actually _cared_. As if it wasn't _her_ he was worried about the entire time, but _me_.

I looked away before he had a chance to respond. Suddenly feeling just exhausted, I turned and gazed and Zena and Ella, not needing to speak the words. They silently rushed over to me and crowded me, helping me limp my way towards the stairs.

I glanced at Abby as I passed. Her eyes held nothing as she gazed noiselessly back at me, hand pressed to her head to block some of the bleeding there.

I left the kitchen then, glad to escape whatever madness that had overcome me.

* * *

**There you all go. Max punched Abby, just like I promised :) It happened differently than I had originally pictured, but whatever. I'm pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. **

**Review if you want Fax in the next chapter ;)**

**And, yes. Just because it's written doesn't mean I can't change it ;D**

***Shiver***


	14. What a Beautiful Night For a Nightmare

**Ahh, the dreaded school has started up yet again! I'm actually enjoying it more than I thought I would, though.**

**And if you follow me on twitter, you'd know that I got sick two weeks into school, which is why this has been unfortunately delayed.  
**

**Anyway, you all asked for it, and you're all gonna get it! Yup, this chapter has our beloved Fax in it, which is what I know you've all been waiting for! I hope I have satisfied your cravings for the time being ;)  
**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

**MPOV**

I sat on my bed feeling empty.

My eyes stared blankly at the wall in front of me as Ella tended to what little wounds I had picked up in the fight. No matter how hard I tried not to, I kept seeing Abby's face as I gladly inflicted pain upon her. As if I didn't care whether she lived or died. As if I didn't care that she could feel pain.

"You really kicked that girl's ass, Max," Zena commented from behind me.

She had been unusually quiet since the fight. We all had. No one felt like talking much. It was all too shocking at this point. And I'm sure my friends couldn't get the image of me practically mauling Abby out of their heads.

I ducked my head in shame, and my eyes closed. I suddenly felt very tired. Ella just tilted my head back up a second later.

"This will sting," she whispered.

It stung. The sharp pain to my temple as Ella cleaned out the cut there helped penetrate the haze I was resting in. I let out a shaky breath and looked down at myself. One heel was snapped off, and my corset was practically falling off of me, almost exposing my bosom.

"I'll be right back," I murmured.

Abruptly, I stood from the bed, feeling my friend's gazes on me, but not really caring what they were thinking. I shut the door as I left my room and headed to the bathroom. There, I locked myself in and leaned against the cool wood for a few moments before leaping up and glaring at myself in the mirror. A crease in my forehead formed as I scrutinized myself.

I couldn't begin to depict the reason why anyone would care about me; take an interest in me. My hair laid in a snarled mess around me, and my brown eyes seemed to be faded, washed out. My skin was dotted with a few sandy freckles almost the exact shade of my hair. Small lips pursed into a thin line.

I turned away from the mirror and leaned back into the sink. A tear streaked its way down my cheek.

There was a knock at the door.

"Go _away_," I rasped.

The person simply knocked again, louder this time.

"Didn't you hear me?" I wailed. "I said _go away_."

"I'm not going away, Max." Fang's voice rumbled through the door, sounding like melted chocolate to my ears.

I blinked a couple times before turning on the faucet and splashing my face with water. Wiping off on the nearest towel, I opened to door, my eyebrows furrowed.

I had never felt so small in my entire life than when Fang observed me with those knowing, calm, deep brown eyes of his. My lower lip trembled slightly, and I had to mentally scream at myself to not cry.

Fang shouldered me over, pushing his way into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him.

"Why—"

Before I could get a full sentence out, Fang wrapped me up in a bear hug, strong arms encasing me. He nestled his face in the crook of my neck and nuzzled my neck. I choked out a dry sob and clung on to him, fisting the back of his shirt in my hands as I tried to bring him closer to me.

Fang moaned into my hair. "Max, Max, Max," he crooned. He said my name as if it were a song itself. Hugged me tighter. "I was so scared today."

"You—you were?" I stuttered.

He nodded and pulled back to gaze serenely into my eyes. He cradled my face in his hands. "Yes. I was. You have no idea what I would do if you were hurt."

I smiled weakly, shaky over what this proximity was doing to me. "I did." I pointed at the cut at my temple. "Here." My fingers skimmed over my nose. "And my nose is pretty beat up."

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Fang leaned down and pressed his lips to my cut. My eyes fluttered shut. Warmth spread out through me as sparks were ignited with his touch. I reopened my eyes just in time to see him leaning down again.

"Max," he said softly, mouth just inches away from my own. "You are one beautiful mess—and I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

My eyes flung open and I stared into the darkness of my room.

Slowly, I sat up and gazed around me. Ella and Zena were passed out on my floor, bundled up in their somehow-acquired sleeping bags. Everything was still. No sounds were being made anywhere throughout the house.

I glanced over at the clock beside me bed. 2:45 A.M. I flopped back into my pillows, and for a second, I just laid there, staring at the ceiling with a glassy look in my eyes.

And then, abruptly and with the swiftness of a snake, I snatched up a pillow, pressed it into my face, and let go the first sob.

It was a dream.

It was just a freaking _dream._

* * *

**NPOV**

I blinked and roughly scrubbed at my eye for the umpteenth time that night. Angel, asleep in the bed across the room, mumbled something and rolled over, nearly sending herself tumbling off the edge.

_Click. Click, click. Click._

Over and over again, I clicked on link after link. Two hours into my research and I still could not find anyone or _anything_ that knew the name of the little girl in the car crash. With each minute that passed, my eyelids drooped lower and lower. Although the amount of hope I had when I started (which was none) had not changed, I still felt determined to find out this girl's name.

30 minutes or so passed, and I was beginning to contemplate turning off the computer for the night when a link screamed out at me. Quirking an eyebrow, I double-clicked the blue lettering.

_Lost and Abandoned Case Files_

**Enter Passcode**

_(Hint: ID Number)_

Frustrated, I banged my fist against the desk, the sound echoing through the room. Angel popped up in bed, startled.

"Huh?" she grumbled.

"Nothing," I said dismissively. "Go back to bed."

"Nehmehnehmph," she mumbled out. Then she promptly flopped back down on the mattress and slipped immediately into sleep.

Not willing to accept the fact that the link was a dead end, my eyes roamed the webpage once more. There, at the very bottom of the page, in extremely fine print, was a contact number; All seven digits. I scribbled the number down on a scratch piece of paper, heart racing in my chest. And then I picked up the phone….

A small tone sang through the phone. "_I'm sorry, but this is a private business only opened from 6 A.M to 4 P.M on weekdays. On weekends—" _

Snapping my phone shut, I slapped a hand to my forehead. Though anger coursed through my veins, I heeded the automatic voice messaging system's words, I set my alarm for 6:30 A.M and squirmed into bed.

It was a shameful thing that in my rush to get to bed, I had forgotten something.

The computer screen's bluish glow lit up my face for fifteen minutes before it flipped itself to sleep mode, every webpage I had up still remaining in its place.

* * *

**And there it is! The plot is really going to be thickening up in these next couple chapters. Actually, it kind of already HAS been thickening, but you get the point! I have huge, huge plans for this book, so I'm really excited!**

**Also; Next chapter is already written for the most part. I just have to type it up. So, if you all review, _maybe_ I'll get the chapter up Wednesday ;)**

**Haha, anyway, love you guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying school! **

**Review? :)**

***Shiver*  
**


	15. Teens Can Be So Emotional

**Hello (:**

**Thank you all for the reviews! Almost 20 of them! You all make me so happy :D**

**As promised, thanks to your lovely awesomeness of support, here's the 15th chapter :) I have written the past two chapters during German Class, so if something is in a language other than English…you'll understand why xD**

**Oh, and before we start, I got the question, "Are Max and Fang brother and sister?" a lot the previous chapter. My answer: 1) You'll have to wait and see ;) 2) And until then, use common logic –waggles eyebrows-**

**Enjoy! :3**

* * *

_January; Tuesday_**  
**

**NPOV**

I woke up four hours after I fell asleep. Through bleary eyes, I located my alarm clock and slapped it silent to prevent the rest of the house from waking. It was 6:30; the man's business would have been open for thirty minutes now.

Puffing air out of my mouth, I heaved myself up in a sitting position and draped my legs over the edge of the bed. After a few more seconds to wake myself up, I stood.

_Time to get this part started_, I thought.

Padding across the room, I draped a robe around me, snatched up my cell and scrap of paper, and fled from the rom. In the hall, I quickly and quietly entered the bathroom.

Immediately after the door was shut, I sat down on the toilet (making sure the seat was down first) and punched the number scrawled on the piece of paper carefully into the phone. It began to ring as I held it up to my ear. I buried my hand in my mangled chocolate curls and waited patiently for someone to pick up.

"Glenn Donnan's office, how many I help you?" It was a young woman speaking.

I cleared my throat. "Hello. I'd like to speak with Mr. Donnan." I worked hard to create a business-like tone.

"May I ask who is speaking, please?" she asked.

"Nudge Martinez."

There was a pause. "You're in luck, Ms. Martinez—Mr. Donnan has a clear schedule for the next 30 minutes. I'll transfer your call."

"Thank you."

Five seconds later, a man's smooth tenor answered the phone. "John Donnan speaking."

I sat up a little taller, as if he had actually entered the room. "Hello Mr. Donnan. My name is Nudge Martinez, and I had a question about your Abandoned Case website."

"What sort of question?" he asked skeptically.

"Have you ever heard of the Indiana Car Crash of 1994?" I replied.

"That depends—What's it to you?"

I shrugged even though he couldn't see. "Maybe nothing—Maybe everything."

"Look, kid—"

I cut him off. "No. _You_ look." Subconsciously, I edged forward on the seat. "All I need is the name of the only survivor in that crash. It's a matter of importance."

"How important?" His tone had softened slightly.

"Abundantly."

He sighted heavily into the phone. "Oh, alright. One second."

My foot tapped impatiently on the tile as I waited. Muffled sounds were heard in the background, and then his breathing was near the phone again.

"Took me a while to dig up, but I finally found it. Oh! By the way, I'm one of the only few who knows this child's name. From my understanding, it's supposed to be kept pretty hush-hush."

"I understand," I said simply.

"I'm glad. Now, anyway…."

The two words that fell from his mouth next landed in the pit of my stomach with a hard thump. My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. My jaw fell.

"Uhm," I started to say.

The door flew open to reveal a disheveled, red-eyed Max. I gaped at her, and she blinked in surprise.

"Nudge!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here. What are you doing up so early?"

"I, uh," I cleared my throat. "I just really had to pee."

She stared at me for a second, a crease slowly forming between her brows. "Is that a phone?" she asked.

I glanced at the small rectangle out of the corner of my eye and jumped slightly. Quickly snapped it shut and shoved it in the pocket of my robe. "Uhm, no," I answered dumbly.

"Were you on the phone?" Her eyebrows shot up.

I shook my head, curls flouncing, and looked Max straight in the eyes. "Were _you_ on the phone?" I retorted.

Max snorted. "Nice; nice. Clever. Who were you on the phone with?"

I pursed my lips and looked down. Then, "I'M JUST AN EMOTIONAL TEENAGER, OKAY?"

Popping up from the seat, I pushed past Max and made a speedy beeline to my room.

* * *

**MPOV**

Bewildered, I stared at Nudge's retreating back and wondered if I should go after her. But when I got right down to it, I just didn't have the energy. Not after last night.

With much enthusiasm lacking, I shuffled into the bathroom and locked the door. A blurry reflection of a haphazard, stressed girl stared back at me. The image was not unlike my dream from the night before. This time, instead of Fang barging in on me, I ran my fingers through the snarls atop my head.

Fang was right across the hall, and I was under no impressions that Abby had gone home the previous night. Although, I wasn't exactly sane last night, so it was entirely possible that I just didn't hear her departure.

But what if she _didn't_ go home? What if Fang patched up her wounds? And then after he fixed her up, she repays him with a kiss, and then one thing leads to another….

I banged my head lightly on the wall and struggled to swat the thoughts cobwebbing in the dark corners of my mind away.

Least to say, I was not in the right state of mind to attend school.

Twisting the lock on the bathroom door, I swung it open and swiftly walked back to my room. Beside my bed a clock read 6:25. Everyone would be getting up soon.

Acting on impulse, I snatched a duffel bag from my closet and went around my room shoving things like clothes, books, and electronics in it. Next, I traveled back to the bathroom and fit my essentials inside. Finally, I went downstairs and filled my arms with food and water.

Now, Most of you reading this probably think I'm running away. Well, I'm not.

Arms full of things I would need to survive on, I kicked open the door to the least-used room in the house: the basement.

For years, our basement sat as a storage space with no life at all. But a couple months ago, before my parents left on their trip, Jeb started finishing the basement for all of us kids to us. When my parents left, Jeb left it finished for the most part. There was no furniture yet, and no paint on the walls. However, it was clean and it had its own bathroom.

It was the perfect place to ditch my life without really ditching it.

After I dropped my stuff off on the carpeted barren floor, I skipped back up the steps and made my way back to my room. I was especially careful to step on the non-creaky floorboards as I tip-toed through the hall.

Trust me when I say I picked up a couple ninja tricks in my short 16 years of living in that house.

Stealthily slipping through my doorway, I scribbled a note to Ella and Zena and snatched up some pillows and blankets. Before I snuck back out the door, I rested the note beside Ella's head without so much as a rustle.

* * *

**3rd Person POV**

As a bright sun rose high above the Martinez household, Ella's eyelids fluttered open. While she stretched her arms out and wriggled her toes, her eyes roamed about the room. Coming around the right side of the room, her mud-like eyes fell on a small sheet of notebook paper folded beside her on the floor. Curiosity gripping her, Ella reached out and unfolded the note, a smile resting limply on her lips.

Suddenly, Ella sprung up, smile vanishing as her eyes skimmed the words scratched on the paper. Blinking through the sudden head rush, she repeatedly began hitting Zena. On the third smack, Zena groggily rolled onto her back and glared daggers at Ella.

"_What_?" Zena snarled.

"Get _up_." Ella pushed at Zena in a miserable attempt at getting the lazy teenager up.

"Why?" she drawled, sounding whiney and pulling her pillow over her head.

"Max has feelings for Fang!" Ella blurted.

"What?"

Zena shot up from her place on the floor, knocking Ella right in the head. Fuming, Ella grabbed up a pillow of her own and brought it down across Zena's face. Quick to retaliate, Zena copied Ella's actions, and soon the two of them were rolling around the floor in a mess of hair, pillows, and blankets.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Ella whisper-shouted while hitting at Zena.

Zena sputtered out a fit of giggles before sobering up. "Okay," she said airily. "Now what's going on?"

Ella thrust the note in Zena's face. "Read."

Unhappy with the order, Zena wrinkled her nose and picked the note from Ella's grip. She unwrinkled the note and read aloud:

_Ella and Zena;_

_I regret to inform you, but it appears that I have taken up a form of depression recently. Due to this unfortunate mental state, I have decided to take a vacation. Do not try to find me, for I am tucked awak where you will never guess. Instead, I have compiled a list of things for you to do for me if you want me to ever come back out at all. Kidding. But I'd appreciate it if you complted the following tasks:_

_Please phone the school to inform them of my absence. (No, I am not sure how long I will be away.)_

_Please inform my family of my absence. Make up a reason for it, but do not tell them I am depressed._

_Keep any information about my vacation away from my parents. I will phone them later, however none of my mental state shall be mentioned._

_Pretty please with cherries on top, hunt that chick from last night down and tear her slutty rear up._

_That is all. If I need further assistance, I will contact you again myself._

_One last thing…._

_Burn this note._

_Dearest,_

_Max._

"Oooh, dang." Zena murmured.

Ella nodded and sighed, shoulders slumping. "I don't know. I wish we knew where she went at least."

"Yeah. You and me both. So that I can kick her skinny rear into next week. That would get her out of her mood."

Ella gave her a sidelong glance. "What we need to do is complete her 'tasks'. Except for the fourth one."

"Booo!"

Ella rolled her eyes. "I'll let you burn the note, okay?"

"Yay!" Zena threw her arms up, and despite the current circumstances they were under, the two girls collapsed in a fit of laughter.

* * *

**Yay! I hope you enjoyed :)**

**I'll have the next chapter up soon, where we'll get a bit more insight on both Max and Fang's feelings, and also find out a bit about a secret Ella and Zena have been holding on to... **

**I'm excited :)**

**Review? :)**

***Shiver***


	16. Getting Too Close

**Look who's back?**

**Not me.**

**Just kidding, it is me :D Lmao, anywho, hi! Hope you guys enjoy The Return of Secrets of the Family Tree!**

**IT SHALL BE THE NEW ERA!**

**I'm in a good mood.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_January; Tuesday_

**MPOV**

People had yet to find me. Above me, I could hear Zena and Ella stomping around trying to discover my hideout, their voices faintly seeping through the floor, but around seven-thirty, they stopped and left for school. The rest of the family, I was sure, had also left to school, so I was alone for the time being.

I waited until eight before I moved. By then school would have already begun, and work had started up, leaving the entire neighborhood, my house included, unguarded.

However, as I tip-toed up the basement stairs, I began to get the nagging suspicion that Fang had yet to exit the home. I only heard him mentioned once this morning: There was a big crash on the floor above me, the kitchen, and Zena made a sarcastic remark along the lines of "Fang, we'd appreciate it if you would keep your dishes off the floor." Then Iggy was greeted and Fang was never mentioned again.

I knew Fang well enough to know that he would try to interfere with my solution of hibernating; going off the assumption that Zena and Ella told him of my disappearance. That being noted, I had to proceed with caution.

Much to my surprise, I managed to creep all the way up the basement stairs without a peep from the newly-installed wood structure. Closing my eyes and pursing my lips to keep my breathing quiet, I pressed an ear to the door and listened.

"…calling to confirm an out of state trip with the girl's traveling basketball team."

A soft, shallow sigh slipped from my lips before I could stop it. Fang. I'd know that deep velvet tone anywhere.

"Maximum Ride's brother."

I went still again. Waited.

"So she is in fact leaving for an out of state tournament today?"

My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. I hadn't realized I was even on a travelling basketball team.

That's when it occurred to me: This must have been the doing of Zena and Ella. They kept their promise after all, even if I had no idea how they got someone to confirm this tournament trip with Fang. I beamed, though no one could see; I could always count on those two.

"Okay, thank you very much." The tiniest of thuds let me know Fang had hung up.

I pumped a couple fists in the air as a silent cheer of success. Not even five minutes later, the front door slammed shut with a loud, resonating thud, and I knew he was gone.

I waited five minutes more just to be sure Fang wasn't trying to be tricky before I tramped up the rest of the stairs and swung open the door. Just as I had suspected, the house was empty. The only sound was a lone bird chirping outside on one of our oak trees.

For once, things actually worked out in my favor.

* * *

**FPOV**

The smack of Fang's boots could be heard echoing down the near-empty street ever since he took that first step out the door. Every one of his nerves were singing with anger and confusion as he thought about the recent events. No matter how hard he tried, he could not possibly make sense of anything.

Why were Max and Abby so hostile towards each other?

Why did Max suddenly leave?

Why was it that every time he hung out with Max, he felt all mixed up inside?

Fang didn't know the answer to any of these questions. What he did know, however, was that what he had with Abby felt right. Abby just had a certain—charisma about her that had Fang feeling like he could do anything, be anything.

That was why he was skipping school that day to meet up with her.

The location Abby chose struck Fang as being odd, but he tried not to question it on his way over. The sun was beating down on his back and despite the thin layer of snow blanketing the ground, he was beginning to feel a little heated.

Only a minute later, Fang was relieved from the sun's rays as he ducked into the small forest located just out of his neighborhood. The towering evergreens were nearly barren from the harsh winter, but still provided enough shade and privacy to satisfy him.

"Abby?" Fang called out, peering about him.

He stepped forward a few paces, eyebrows pulled together. A soft tune from a nearby swallow floated up into the air. The frosty winter air was a blanket of stillness around him.

Abruptly, a shadow darted out from behind a tree, jumping on Fang's back and tackling him to the icy ground. Fang grunted upon impact, the layer of snow beneath him biting into the vulnerable skin on his face.

The shadow straddled him, gripping his face with slender, firm fingers so that he wasn't able to look around. A cackle of sadistic laughter bubbled out from the shadow's chest as Fang's heart began beating wildly in his chest.

* * *

**MPOV**

"And it feels like I am just too close to love you." The words belted out from my mouth, bursting out in the quiet of the home. I leaped across the room, jerking my limbs around to the beat. "There's nothing I can really say."

Hypnotic and pulsing, the beat of the music pounded out from the stereo speakers. My ears were aching from the volume of the song, but I ignored it and kept on dancing, singing along in the ear-splitting way I had.

"I can't lie no more, I can't hide no more. Got to be true to myself!" I spun around in a grand circle, eyes squeezing shut as I screamed out the next part. "And it feels like I am just too close to love you! So I'll be on my way!"

Though the song didn't call for it, my voice drifted about, hitting all the wrong notes in all the wrong places as I finished out the last of the lyrics. By the time the last note drifted out from the speakers, I was huffing and puffing, a huge, stupid grin plastered to my face.

Sinking to my knees, I collapsed on the cool tile of the kitchen floor, clutching my stomach as laughter racked through me.

_Oh, man,_ I thought to myself. _I am not mentally sane._

There was the barest pause of silence during the transition of songs, then a piano was being keyed. My laughter was cut short as the chords being stroked tugged at a string connecting to my memories. As soon as the soft, wispy voice began singing, my heart stopped.

I was being dragged down into a place of darkness, spiraling further and further until I knew no meaning of the word 'end'. The haunting melody of the piano keys crashed together around me, making me cringe and thrash as if they were striking me.

_Take what you need while there's time. The city will be Earth in a short while. If I'm not mistaken, it's been in flames. You and I will escape to the seaside. _

Cold snow began pelting down on me, eating away at the warmth of my flesh. I screamed, but the piano played louder, smothering my pleas.

_There is a storm in the distance. The wind breathing warning of its imminence. _

Wind whipped around me, picking me up and tossing me about like a rag doll as the snow got thicker with each new flake.

_There is a lighthouse five hundred yards down. You and I will be safe there._

A screech ripped from my throat, tearing out into the howling wind around me, eerily mixing with the notes being stroked from the piano.

_There is a girl who haunts that lighthouse. She saved me, I was swimming, so young I almost drowned under the water. She sang a story of losing a lover. She calls a warning._

Soft, gentle plucks of the guitar reverberated around me, vibrating each and every one of my nerves. The strings of my heart were being pulled in every direction—I didn't know whether to laugh out loud or to keel over sobbing.

_Love you are foolish, you're tired. Your sleeplessness makes you a liar. The city is burning, the ocean is turning. Our only chance is the light house._

I burned with the sole desire of wanting the song to end. Every part of me cried out as each snowflake that touched my skin brought new, searing pain.

_Her lover was a sailor, she went and she waited there. The door locked from the outside. Lover never arrived so she sings this, soft as a siren, luring the ships off their course. How alarming?_

_We went in. We climbed up and looked out. The door locked from the outside. Three ghosts in a lighthouse._

Abruptly, a door shut, and the icy cold hand of pain that had been gripping me released its hold. I was whipped from out of the abyss, air rushing into my lungs like a slap to the face.

I was like a fish out of water, limbs thrashing out as I writhed on the floor, gasping. An upbeat song began blasting through the stereos, the noise seeming to burn my ears.

Struggling onto all fours, I crawled over to the speakers and slapped the off button. The noise ceased instantly, I collapsed against the cool metal of the speakers, making me cringe.

I remembered, then, where I remembered that song from. The memory tried shoving its way to the front of my mind now.

_My lips twitched slightly, but I didn't respond to what Fang had said in any other way. I just kept silent, which seemed to scare Fang more than anything else._

_"Max. Speak. __Please.__"_

_And I did. I started to sing. My voice was soft as the barest whisper, but the words rang true in a haunting melody_.

"_Three ghosts in a lighthouse."_

* * *

**FPOV**

The cackling laughter quickly diffused into a musical, soprano giggle. Whoever was on top of Fang released their hold on his head, allowing for him to crane his neck around and see who it was.

Abby, looking as giddy and as breathtaking as ever, grinned at him. "Did I scare you?"

Groaning, Fang relaxed into the snowy ground. His heart slowed down, returning to its normal thrum. "Yes."

"Sorry, baby," she said sweetly, leaning down to give Fang a warm peck on the cheek.

Right as it happened, Fang felt a tickle at the back of his mind, similar to the one that he had felt when Max was dying of hypothermia a week or so ago. His eyebrows pulled together, concentrating on the feeling.

Abby tensed. "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head slightly, Fang started to get up from the ground, forcing Abby to do the same. The itch instantly faded, gone as quickly as it had come.

"Nothing," he said. "Just got lost in thought."

The pair stood facing each other in the barren forest, Abby tall enough to meet Fang's height in her heeled boots. Fang couldn't help but compare her to Max, who was still several inches shorter than him on the rare occasion that she slipped on a pair of her personal death traps. The thought brought a smile twitching to his lips.

Abby blushed. "You think I look cute, don't you?"

Fang's smile turned false as the light faded from his eyes. He reached out, pulling Abby in to his chest, his gloved hands rubbing circles on her back.

"Of course, sweetie," he responded. Abby rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You're the best, Fang."

Pulling back, Abby locked gazes with Fang, her eyes smoldering. Fang froze in place the instant he met them, mind beginning to go blank.

"How do you feel about Max?" asked Abby.

Without even thinking about it, Fang automatically blurted, "She makes me crazy."

A smirk came to her lips as she intensified her gaze. "Good. You wouldn't want to be with a crazy woman, now would you?"

"No," he droned.

Tucking a strand of hair behind Fang's ear, Abby grew haughty and released her hold on Fang. "Excellent."

Abby paused, causing Fang to smile reassuringly at her. His eyes still lacked some of their luster.

She leaned in to whisper close at his ear. "I think the two of us will be free soon, my dear."

* * *

**R&R for the update?(:**

**Sorry for the almost-one-year-long-wait, but I still love you guys, and it was for good use, trust me.  
**

**New chapter coming soon :D  
**

**Enjoy(:  
**

***Shiver*  
**


	17. Deal With the Devil

**Sick days=me sitting on the couch writing Fanfiction until my brain is fried. Gooo me!**

**This was supposed to be updated two weeks ago, but I forgot ONE PARAGRAPH in my locker consistently both weekends. It was a total face-palm moment. I also left the My Angel of Darkness chapter in there.**

**Someone please develop the cure to forgetfulness. It'd be greatly appreciated. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**NPOV**

I was skipping school. Somewhere in the back of my frazzled head, I knew Max would have a cow if she was at home, but that was the furthest thing from my mind. Ever since I found out who the little girl was, I haven't been able to get even a blink of shut-eye in. That one little piece of information I held on to had bloomed into an irritating tickle that begged for my attention at all hours of every day.

Finally, at four in the morning, I decided to succumb to the tickle. It could be ignored no longer. Which was precisely the reason why I was tramping around the outskirts of town looking for a very vague, nondescript location I had described to me over the phone this morning. All sorts of curse words swirled around in my head as another set of shivers trembled through me.

Taking a quick peek at the scrap of paper describing the building I had crumpled in my reddened fist, I slowly spun in a circle, checking out the surroundings. A crease formed between my brows as I re-read the paper for the umpteenth time again.

"It's supposed to be around here somewhere," I muttered to myself, snagging a mocha curl between my fingers.

Worrying the strand absently, I crept a few places forward and poked my head inside an alleyway set between two crumbling buildings. There, past the death trap that undoubtedly housed a dozen hobos, was the building I was looking for.

Sighing with a mixture of wariness and relief, I cautiously ventured into the mouth of the alley. My large brown eyes nervously flitted around in the darkness, indiscernible shadows stirring in the darkest corners. The sun was large and bright in the sky above, providing some solace, though it did nothing to that the fear icing around my heart. It beat so loud, it almost drowned out the soft scuffle behind me.

Almost.

In one long ripple, every single one of my muscles coiled as a sharp yelp expelled from my lips in a puff of smoky air. Without even turning to see who was behind me, I scurried faster than I ever thought possible out of the alley. It wasn't until I was completely free of the encroaching walls did I breathe again, chest heaving dramatically through my down winter coat.

What did I get myself into? I thought, raking a hand through the rats nest atop my head.

Still shaking, I meekly padded across the baron, cracked street towards the meeting point. The building was a mockery of a concrete establishment, the whole structure seeming to cave in on itself. A Dalmatian-like affect was created with the musty white paint peeling way to expose the black, rotting wood underneath. Not one window was left un-shattered, the glass crunching beneath my sneaker-clad feet.

Shuddering at the mere thought of having to enter the home, I raised a fist to the door. As soon as my knuckles rapped against the splintering wood, the frame gave way in one big tremor, collapsing to the ground in a cloud of flying dust. Coughing so hard tears welled at the corners of my eyes, I instinctively wrenched back, nearly tripping over the edge of the stoop. And I would have fallen if not for the strong, tan arm that shot out at the last second, latching on to my wrist and holding me in my place.

The breath flew out of me, my eyes popping out and taking in the burly man towering over her. His black, heavy-set eyebrows were drawn taut together, brown eyes shining with an irritated gleam. Yanking my towards his rag-covered chest, he growled in my ear, "Why child at my house?"

I flinched as if he had hit me. "I was sent by John Donnan. He said I'd be welcomed with open arms."

The beast chuckled darkly, his chest rumbling against my frail frame. "Open as they ever be." His voice was thick with an indistinguishable accent.

Without warning, his hot, sticky fingers were plucked from my forearms. Expelling a breath I didn't know I had been holding, I staggered back as far as the stoop would allow and rubbed my sore skin. Strangling back the fear creeping through my veins, I forced myself to turn up my nose and stare directly into the mammoth's near-black eyes.

"Are you going to let me in or not?" I demanded. My heart was fluttering as fast as a humming-bird's wings.

"Only 'cause I owe 'im a favor." Turning on his bare heel, the man turned his massive back on me and went inside the collapsing home. Checking nervously around me for anyone that would be able to help me—should the occasion arise—I found the street completely vacant. My eyes flickered up to the sun once, and then I was cautiously stepping around the fallen door into the house.

Inside, a dirt-stained white wall forced me to turn left. Snow melted off my boots onto the worn, tattered carpet; judging by the suspicious stains covering almost every inch of it, I figured the courtesy of taking my shoes off was lost. A fluorescent light fixture flickered overhead, creating an almost strobe-like effect on the beast at the end of the hall. His silhouette guarded the entryway of what appeared to be the only room in the home. When I got close enough to make out his dirt-smeared face beneath the greasy mop of hair tufted on his head, he barred his teeth at me.

I took a step back, fear stroking its boney finger under my skin, but I tried not to let it show on my face. "Are you going to get me what I want, or what?"

The mammoth's eyes narrowed. "Very protected secret you ask for. I am paid well to hide. Payment needed."

"You want money?" I asked, reaching for my pocket. Mr. Donnan had explicitly told me to expect such a demand.

"No." His hand shot out, meaty stubs gripping her wrist. "Favor."

"Favor?" I repeated, stilling.

"You in debt to me. I come collect when I choose."

Ripping out of his grasp, I leaned back to regard him coolly. "I wasn't told I would be expecting a _favor_.

Thin lips curled into a ruthless, gleaming smile. "Expect none but the worst."

My jaw clenched as my knees wobbled unsteadily. There was a sickening feeling lapping at my bones as I spoke the next words, "What kind of favor?"

"Revealed when time comes."

That petrifying feeling grew, possessively nagging at every single nerve strung throughout my body. It was a feeling that told me I was undeniably making a deal with the devil.

"You'll give me the documents if I agree?"

"Ye," he grunted.

What else could I do? Right through that doorway was the secret to saving my family. Once I could feel the fibers of the smooth, professional paper on my fingertips, I knew it would be all over. No more fights. No more confusion. It was all lying on one simple agreement that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Okay," I agreed, voice quavering. "One favor."

* * *

**APOV(3****rd**** Person)**

It took Abby all of thirty minutes to reinstall her force over Fang's mind. Immediately, after she had felt the string reattach, she dropped him back off at school and went on her merry way. She had other business to attend to.

Smirking sweetly to herself, she reveled in the delicious sound of her stilettoes snapping against the damp concrete walkway leading up to her manor. The door opened with nothing more than the twitch of her wrist against the knob, and she shut it as soon as she entered the sprawling home. Peeking around the curtains smothering an expansive window in the sun room, she checked to make positive that no one had followed her to her hidden home. The menacing bare bones of towering birch and evergreen trees were exactly as they were meant to be, guarding Abby and her twin brother beneath their gnarled arms. Not even a single bird strayed about.

Still smirking, Abby let the dusty velvet curtains swing back to their original position. "Dylan, dear."

Her voice rang musically through the house, wrenching Dylan from his study. He clomped noisily down the stairs, making a muscle in her jaw twitch as she smothered the urge to clamp her hands down over her ears. Instead, she busied the pale essentials with the shucking of her skin-tight leather coat.

"Welcome back, sister," Dylan greeted, sinking into the plush cushion of one of the pristine white sofas. His glimmering green eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled up at his sinister twin.

Abby opted to perch her voluptuous figure on the corner of the smooth coffee table. Little wrinkles appeared in the dark denim of her skinny jeans as she daintily crossed her legs. Freezing up, she stared at Dylan complacently from under her thick lashes, not letting even the sound of her breath escape into the still air. A fire murmured a soothing crackle from the kitchen, filling the twin's ears warmly.

"Have you talked to Max recently?" Her voice was as rich as fine dark chocolate, identifying with the dark secrets lurking behind her words.

Dylan threw an arm over the back of the creamy sofa, running his long fingers through his tousled blond locks. "Not since I dropped her off at her house, no. Why?"

"Fang informed me she was off on a trip. I don't believe it," she explained.

His lips dragged down into a frown. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Contact Maximum and find out where she's hiding." Abby spoke slowly, as if she were instructing a child. Her full, blood red lips were pursed into a straight, thin line as she repressed the urge to enforce her plan then and there.

A light went off in his eyes and he gave a boyish grin. "Oh! Yeah, okay, I'll get right on that." Without awaiting further approval from his sister, Dylan lurched up to his feet and escaped into the depths of the mammoth house.

Abby curled her hands around the edges of the table she was perched on, pristine black nails scratching the white paint. Soon she would no longer have to put up with all the people she so heartily despised with every breath she gasped. No more Max, no more Nudge, no more Dr. Martinez.

No more Dylan.

She smirked blasphemously, a sinister glint sparkling in the pigments of her emerald eyes as she imaged the satisfaction that would fill her as she sunk her freshly-painted nails deep within his succulent, supple skin.

Then maybe Fang and her could take a trip to the beach.

* * *

**MPOV**

After my little episode, I deemed myself both too exhausted and not sane enough to stay awake. I sank the shape of my body down on the one old, mangy couch in the basement and took in the fabric. The green and white stitching and rough texture instantly transported me back to when I was a child. Back then everything was much simpler. My eyes fluttered shut as I began to leisurely massage my temples, memories flitting through my mind.

Warm vanilla notes wafting through the air as Fang and I wrestled over the last chocolate chip cookie; a soft green pillow of grass beneath my unruly brown locks when my mother tried explaining death to me for the first time; Everyone rushing to the hospital for Angel and Gazzy's birth; Fang grasping my hand as we trotted up the steps to first grade. I would give so much to be able to go back in time and relive the times when Fang and I were best friends. Nowadays we seemed more like strangers than anything.

All of a sudden, I got the unnerving feeling that I wasn't alone. My eyes snapped open, darting vigorously around the room. Over the back of the sofa, I spotted a mess of blond hair, and my instincts took over. I snatched up my pillow from the floor and, with a battle cry, whipped it directly into his neck.

Shocked by the force, he fell backwards on his back with an oof. I barred my teeth, throwing all my strength into slamming the pillow repeatedly down on him.

"Why did you break into my house, you creep?" I shouted.

"Max—it—Iggy!" he strangled out between mouthfuls of pillow.

Something clicked inside my head and I immediately ceased my attack. As I looked at him for the first time, I realized he was the owner of a pair of icy blue crystal eyes that could be none other than Iggy's. Clucking my tongue on the roof of my mouth, I smacked him across the face one last time just as he was beginning to sit back up.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, a hand clutching his face. "What was that for?"

I ignored him. "Why are you sneaking up on me? You should be in school right now!"

Iggy gripped the back of the couch and hauled himself to his feet. He swayed a little before steadying, walking around to the front of the couch, and plopping down on a cushion. Not looking back at me, he patted the spot beside him. Sighing, I dutifully padded on over and took the prompted seat.

"What kind of brother would I be to ignore the fact that his sister is in pain?" he answered, ruffling up my hair.

Resisting the urge to smile, I gave him a shove back. "How'd you even know where I was?"

"Brotherly intuition." I shot him a look, and he chuckled. "Because this is where I go when I'm upset."

I nodded solemnly, staring at my hands clutched in my lap. A pleasant silence passed over us, stilling time for a moment that seemed far too short. Finally, Iggy threaded his fingers through his bleached hair and expelled a lengthy sigh.

"Fang still cares about you, you know."

Stunned, I whipped my head up to gape at Iggy. His piercing blue eyes held no hint of joking, eyebrows drawn slightly together with concern. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to believe him. My heart ached painfully as a picture of Abby planting a peck on Fang's lips floated through my mind. If he cared about me, he'd dump Abby on the front porch.

Wrenching my eyes from Iggy's gaze, I shook my head sadly. "Not anymore."

"That's not what he said last night."

A butterfly awakened in my stomach, but I didn't let him know his words had affected me. Nonchalantly, I asked, "What'd he say last night?"

"Long story short, he told me he hated how Abby made him act towards you." He paused, as if contemplating whether or not to say the next words. "He hates himself knowing that he keeps hurting you."

Finally I looked to Iggy again, gaping. "Then why doesn't he stop?"

He blew air forcefully out of his nose. "That's where it gets confusing."

"Confusing?" I asked, nose crinkling.

"Not even Fang could give me an answer. All he said was that he didn't feel altogether…right when Abby was around. I was going to ask him more, but the devil in question popped out just then."

Unconsciously, I began gnawing on my lip as I mulled the information over. It was apparent that all three of us, including Fang, had no idea what was really going on with Abby. Whatever it was, though, I had a sick feeling in my stomach telling me it wasn't good.

"I think it's time we have a little chat with Abby," I announced suddenly into the silence that had taken place after Iggy's story.

He gave me a doubtful look that I chose to ignore entirely. "Is this going to be a real talk, or are you two just going to maul each other again?"

"I'm not promising I won't punch her face in again, but I do want to talk to her first."

After an extremely long pause, Iggy slowly began to nod his head while habitually rubbing the small amount of stubble he had forgotten to shave that morning. "Sounds safe enough, but we'll have to get Fang away from her first."

The two of us fell into a tense silence as we both contemplated ways to separate the two from each other long enough to talk to Abby alone. As much as I didn't want to drag the rest of the family into the war of getting Fang back, it was beginning to seem like that may just be the only way. Just as I was about to open my mouth to express my concern of using Nudge as our bait, the cell in my pocket began to erratically vibrate. Snapping my jaw shut and forcefully pushing a sigh out of my nose, I fished into the dark denim for the device. I squinted at the screen, not quite comprehending that he was calling me so early in the day.

"Who is it?" Iggy asked, trying to sneak a peek at the screen.

"Someone I'm not in the mood to talk to," I murmured. Accepting the call, I pressed the phone up to my ear and spoke irritably. "Yes, Dylan?"

"Maxie, babe!" I cringed at the nicknames. "Where are you? I wanna hang out."

"I'm doing my own thing," I answered blandly.

"Are you in reach, though? Abby told me that—" He cut himself off as if he just said something he wasn't supposed to.

A crease formed between my brows and I sat up straighter in my seat. "You know Abby Bennett?"

Dylan chuckled awkwardly. "Well, yeah. You know, my fancy contacts and…what not."

I ran my tongue along the smoothness of my teeth, processing everything. "Mhm. Well, to answer your question, I'm nowhere as far as you're concerned. However, I will be able to hangout tonight." A thoughtful pause. "Under one condition."

"We don't wear clothes?"

"No," I drawled, resisting the urge to bang my head in a wall. "You bring Abby."

"Abby?" The surprise was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, we had a bit of a falling out yesterday and I'd like to make amends. But don't tell her."

"How come?"

"I want it to be a surprise."

Dylan groaned a little on the other end. "Fine, fine. I'll try to get her there. Only cause you asked."

"Thanks, Dylan. Text me the time and place later." I hung up the phone and flicked it at Iggy with a satisfied smirk resting loosely on my lips. He caught the device with ease, but confusion was still plainly written across his features.

"Are you seriously going on a date with Dylan tonight?"

Kicking my sock-clad feet up on his lap, I nestled myself deeper into the folds of the cushion. Its rough yarn material scratched at my pale skin, but a part of me found it comforting, like a mother's embrace. Lids feeling as heavy as dead weight, I relented against keeping them open.

Into the darkness behind my lids, I spoke. "Yes; and so are you. Wake me up when I get the text."

* * *

**Depending on how many reviews I get, I just may be swayed to put some Fax in the next chapter...Hmmmmm...(;**

***Shiver*  
**


	18. Stumbling Over Potholes

**Woah.**

**Who wants to say, "Late update"? –slowly raises hand- Yeah, yeah. I knows. But I will be updating more, cause I'm trying to knock down all my fics. They're starting to dust over and age, and it makes me sadface. So here's to an ending coming soon3**

* * *

**MPOV**

The night that everything began to unwind was the coldest, darkest night I have any recollection of. As Iggy and I stomped outside, puffs of fog wisping past my paling lips, I remember glancing up at the sky and noticing the absent void of glittering stars that never ceased to sprinkle the night in our small town. Clouds shrouded the moon, strangling the moonlight out from our path, and the chill lingering in the air soaked through my clothes and stuck to my bones. Shivering, I foolishly called to Iggy to hurry with the door locks instead of urging him back inside. I'm not even sure if I would keep the two of us inside that night, though; the result of it all has become a bitter double-edged sword for me over the years.

Tucking ourselves into a truck borrowed from the neighbors, I instantly jammed at random buttons until the heat blasted enough to thaw me out as Iggy drove. Dylan had texted me his address earlier, promising Abby was in the dark about our arrival, and I fumbled with my phone now to guide Iggy through the streets. By the time the heat ate away at the chill freezing my body, we had reached the first destination dictated by the directions I held: the forest.

"Who chooses to live in the woods?" Iggy grumbled as the truck barreled onto a precariously narrow path plowed beneath the encroachment of the trees. As soon as we drove in, we were engulfed in darkness, lacy shadows of bare trees making me skittish. Iggy flipped on the brights.

For a long time, all there was was the grunts and mumbles of the car rumbling over weeds, rocks, and roots. Trees thwapped against the exterior, jolting my heart nearly every time. Gulping, I glanced back down and my phone.

"It shouldn't be much further," I said softly. Even the hush of my voice felt harsh in this eerie setting.

Nodding his recognition, we continued to creep forward, wary of anything that should try to jump out in front of us. My body was hunched forward, muscles coiled with impenetrable tension. I feared that if anyone was to touch me, I might shatter into a million glass shards. Further and further we ventured in the depths of the ghastly forest, and more and more I began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me the entire plan tonight was a horrible idea. _Turn back_, alarm bells sang._ Go now while you can_. _Nothing but trouble_. There were the signs, screaming in my face, constricting fear about my mind. I decided to swallow them and recite a direction as Iggy came up to a fork. It was my last chance to turn back, and I ignored it.

Eventually we rolled to a lumpy stop in front of a huge home that looked as though it were rotting from years of misuse; one sole light glowing from the highest window near the pitched roof told otherwise. I hopped down from the truck with a hard swallow and wrapped my arms around my middle. Staring up at the ominous house, I couldn't help but feel like Hansel and Gretel being lured to their death. Although, judging by the absence of smoke, there was no wood stove to roast us on, so that was a plus.

Hot beads of breath steamed down my neck. I whirled, heart thudding only to find Iggy with his eyebrows raised in question. I tried to smile my apology, but it ended up as a grimace. Attempting to ignore my blunder, he asked: "Ready for this?"

My answer was neutral. "We drove all the way out here, didn't we?"

Mustering up an ounce of courage, I strode forward, eyes locked on the rusting handle of the door; the crunch of Iggy's boots followed in my wake. One, two, three confident raps to the door. A shaky breath I blamed on the weather. Two thundering glubs of my anticipating heart. Light flooded out and pooled across my skin as the door swung open and revealed our greeter.

It wasn't Dylan.

* * *

**NPOV**

Silent as a cat stalking its prey, I crept across the plush carpet of Max's room, eyes scanning all over for something, anything, that would either confirm or refute the parchment papers getting crushed and wrinkled in my tense grip. The further I sank into this web of secrets, the more I ended up tangled. Whoever had invented this lie sure did a damn good job covering it all up, elaborate plot twists hidden in every nasty pothole I happened to stumble upon.

Sighing wearily, I yanked out a desk drawer and rummaged about before going on to the next one. For such a reserved, stubborn person, Max seemed to have absolutely nothing to hide. Not even an old note passed during class between her and her friends. She couldn't have made my job any harder.

I was hunched over at the mouth of her closet, hand hallway through a sweater pocket, when I heard it. The intruders were trying to be silent, but they didn't know the house as well as I did; almost every step they took coaxed a squeak from the floorboards in the hall. Heart thrumming, I did the first thing that came to mind: shrouded myself between troves of clothes and swung the shuttered doors to a close. As the first few inches of a shadowy form crept into the room, I couldn't help but thank God for the darkness that drenched the room; otherwise I would have easily been spotted.

At first, with the ease at which the form maneuvered around the room, I thought the person was Max. But when she spoke, I instantly identified her as someone else.

"Where did you say it was supposed to be?" High-pitched and lilting: Ella.

There was a muffled, exasperated grunt, then a pair of scuffed black combat boots tramped in beside Ella. Only one person in this compacted town wore those ratty shoes religiously. In fact, I explicitly remembered Iggy once telling me how hot he thought they were on Zena. He was so whipped when it came to that girl.

"Her desk drawer has a false bottom," Zena explained as she yanked out the lowest compartment and started shuffling things around. After a moment, she gave a frustrated snuffle. "It's too dark in here. Flip on the lights, Ells."

My muscles rippled with tension; my heart sped up. As quietly as I could, I tried slipping my feet back to get into a hunch in the corner of the closet. They couldn't see me—it was too suspicious. I didn't have a story built up. I would be rounded on with questions until I bled the truth. No matter what the cost, I couldn't let this secret out; it was far too precious, and I went through too much to have two of Max's innocent friends figure it out.

Wincing, I squinted against the blare of light searing my eyes. Ella whispered something far too low for me to make out so I leaned forward, ears straining. However, since Max was such a pack-rat, my feet caught on a broken wire hanger, the needle-sharp severed end stabbing into the sole of my foot. I yelped, and before I could help myself, I was crashing through the wooden doors and tumbling across the floor. Stunned silence wrapped around my tipsy head as I felt their stares burning holes through my skull.

Mentally letting out a string of curses, I scrambled to my feet and jutted out my chin, trying my best to look accusing. "What are you two doing sneaking around in here?"

Zena scoffed. "We weren't the ones hiding in a closet."

We all stared at each other, arms crossed, expression hard. Taking advantage of the situation, my eyes flitted to the papers grasped tightly in Zena's hand. The parchments all had an official seal on them and a slew of inked, hasty signatures. I caught Max's name and took a step forward, squinting. "What is that?"

Flushing pale, Zena hid the papers behind her back and sniffed defiantly. "Something you wouldn't understand."

Suddenly, it dawned on me. One of those cartoon lightbulbs beamed above my head, raining down all the lines I needed to connect the dots."You know, don't you?" I asked in complete awe. "All along, you've known. He told me she had two protectors, but I had no idea it'd be you two."

Ella shot Zena a panicked look, but the outlandish girl ignored it, her entire demeanor dropping thirty degrees below zero. Her eyes narrowed into slits and the paper audibly crumpled as her hands transformed into fists; her mouth was one taut line.

"Nudge," she said carefully, "you don't know what you're talking about. Go back downstairs and hang out with Gazzy and Angel."

I shook my head. "No, no way. You two are the only ones who will be able to help me reveal her secret."

"No one is revealing this secret," she snapped.

"Are you insane? She deserves to know what _you_ and her parents have been keeping from her!"

"You don't understand," interjected Ella.

"What I understand is that you two are doing nothing but hurting her by keeping this a secret and—"

"We're keeping her from getting killed!"

Startled, I gaped at Zena. Her chest was rising and falling with anger, eyes blazing. Frantically, I scrambled for words to refute her, but I couldn't. What she had just said…it made perfect, hair-raising sense, even if I didn't know the exact details.

"Explain," I demanded, taking a perch on the edge of Max's bed.

Huffing, she relaxed, though not very much; tension still ran in the creases lining her forehead. "It all began with her parents…"

And on I went, staggering over one of those infamous potholes I had come to merely expect nowadays. A whole other side to the story I had been following opened up right in front of me. With each word that fell past her frowning lips, my heart sank a little more. Fear was pouring its way through my veins, paralyzing me long after she was done speaking. One thing was for sure: everyone in this family, including Ella and Zena, was in grave danger.

"Okay," I drawled, mulling everything over. "If that's true, then what are you doing in here? Do you know how catastrophic it would be if Max came in and saw you with something like this?"

Without permission, I shot up and snatched the document from Zena's hands and scanned it over. Sure enough, it was just as I thought, albeit lacking some of its credibility now that she had crumpled it so viciously.

"What are you doing with her birth certificate?" I asked. Frowning, I fanned the pages to glance at the others behind it. "And four copies of it, for that matter?"

Yanking the stack of papers back, Zena stuffed one copy into the false bottom, then slammed the drawer shut with a soft bang. "Your father wasn't available to sign the originals. By the time we had found out about the mistake, he was in Italy with your mother. We had to rush these copies for him to sign so we could replace the others; they just came in today."

My eyebrows went up. "You sent these to and from Italy?" She nodded. "Why go through all the work?"

"We can't afford any mistakes," she said, shrugging a shoulder. "Not even one as small as this."

Bobbing my head slowly, I nonchalantly rose and began grazing around the room, hands clasped behind my back. Without revealing anything through my body language, I asked: "Have you made any other mistakes?"

"Not in a long time."

Ella stepped forward, eyes narrow. "Why are you asking?"

I picked a shoulder up in a shrug and turned to look at them, face blank. "Have you two ever heard of the Borscht twins?"

"Of course," Ella scoffed as Zena gave her a weird look. Apparently Ella was the smarts of this partnership. Rolling her eyes, Ella explained: "The missing children of William Borscht."

Zena's eyes went wide. "Ohh! _Him_. Right. What about them?"

"Well," I said, pursing my lips together. "After doing a bit of research, I found those twins."

"Impossible." Zena snorted. "We've been looking for them for years and haven't found a single trail."

"You know what they say: You can never see what's just under your nose."

The pair just stared stupidly at me, blinking as their minds tried to process what exactly I was saying. Patiently, I waited as the gears in their head slowly kicked in and began analyzing the information. They were smart; I could see the tiny light in their eyes when they discovered the truth when all the dots connected just as they had for me earlier.

"Oh. My God," Zena breathed. Her eyebrows went up—and up and up.

"You can't be talking about _them_," chided Ella.

I nodded grimly. "Oh yes, and actually, this little mistake that you two made needs to be fixed _now_. Because as we speak, she's meeting with them-and I have a feeling it's going to get messy."

Cursing, Zena shouted an order at us to follow her, then we were crashing downstairs, throwing on some coats, and piling into her Jeep. With an angry fist she punched in the volume control until the radio was blasting some kind of heavy metal music for us all to listen to as we peeled out from the driveway. Personally, I divulged in the brutal screams, trying to use the music to blare out all the fantasies of what could be going at that house right now. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope we'd make it there in time.

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**Hope you liked (: If you guys wanna know what exactly Zena told Nudge that made her realize how much in danger everyone was in, you'll have to wait until next chapter. Dun dun dun.**

**R&R(:**

***Shiver***


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